Groupe la Francaise Has $73.24 Million Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Groupe la Française increased its Walmart stake by 3.3% in the second quarter, bringing its holdings to 651,544 shares valued at approximately $73.24 million. Institutional investors collectively own 26.76% of Walmart.
• Walmart exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.81 in EPS versus the $0.74 consensus and $187.94 billion in revenue, up 5.9% year over year. The stock opened at $107.14, below the analyst consensus price target of $131.88.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”, although some price targets were reduced. Walmart executives have sold shares under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, but insiders own just 0.09% of the company.

Groupe la Francaise lifted its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 3.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 651,544 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 21,059 shares during the period. Walmart makes up 0.9% of Groupe la Francaise's portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Groupe la Francaise's holdings in Walmart were worth $73,240,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Kingsbury Capital Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 11.3% in the 2nd quarter. Kingsbury Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 10,736 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,216,000 after acquiring an additional 1,087 shares in the last quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new position in Walmart in the second quarter worth $79,310,000. Serenity Investment Advisors boosted its stake in Walmart by 2.7% during the second quarter. Serenity Investment Advisors now owns 6,343 shares of the retailer's stock worth $659,000 after buying an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. Vancity Investment Management Ltd acquired a new stake in Walmart during the second quarter worth $283,000. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System increased its holdings in Walmart by 11,189.0% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 755,604,916 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $85,579,813,000 after buying an additional 748,911,635 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $107.14 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $850.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.68, a P/E/G ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.59. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $98.88 and a 1-year high of $135.15. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $110.81 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $119.52.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. Walmart's quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.68 earnings per share. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on WMT shares. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $130.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $113.00 price objective on Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $120.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Oppenheimer reaffirmed a "market perform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $131.88.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total transaction of $308,386.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $60,523,730.02. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,950 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.14, for a total value of $415,303.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 622,349 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $65,433,773.86. This trade represents a 0.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 81,242 shares of company stock worth $8,836,446. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Dunkin’ delivery expands Walmart’s digital ecosystem. Walmart’s partnership with Dunkin’ adds restaurant delivery to its three-month-old service, broadening convenience offerings and giving the retailer another opportunity to increase customer engagement, order frequency and delivery revenue while competing with DoorDash and Uber Eats. Walmart Shoppers Can Now Get Dunkin’ Delivered
• Positive Sentiment: Fraud prevention could become an additional retail technology opportunity. Walmart’s work with Amazon on fraud prevention highlights its efforts to protect shoppers and potentially develop technology and services that improve trust, retention and the economics of digital commerce. Amazon and Walmart Turn Fraud Prevention Into a Retail Product
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail comparisons show Walmart remains a key consumer bellwether. Recent large-format retailer results point to a divided, or “K-shaped,” consumer economy: higher-income shoppers continue spending in some discretionary categories, while value-focused consumers face pressure from elevated grocery costs. This creates both traffic opportunities and potential margin challenges for Walmart. Retail Earnings Expose a Bigger Divide in the U.S. Consumer Economy
• Neutral Sentiment: Haleon’s improved shelf placement reinforces Walmart’s importance to suppliers. Better positioning for Haleon brands such as Sensodyne may support product visibility and sales, though the report primarily benefits Haleon and does not materially change Walmart’s financial outlook. Haleon Secures Better Shelf Space at Walmart
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff and margin concerns are weighing on the investment case. Mixed retail results suggest Walmart may face pressure balancing value pricing with higher product costs, while its elevated earnings multiple leaves less room for execution disappointments.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory scrutiny adds an overhang. The Department of Justice’s investigation into rising beef prices has expanded to Walmart and other retailers. No wrongdoing has been established, but the inquiry creates potential legal, reputational and compliance risks.
• Neutral Sentiment: An executive share sale was limited and prearranged. EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,950 shares worth approximately $415,000 under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, reducing his direct holdings by only 0.63%; the transaction is therefore a weak trading signal. Daniel Bartlett Sells Walmart Shares

Walmart Profile

Walmart is a multinational retail corporation that operates a broad portfolio of store formats and digital services. Its core business includes large-format supercenters, discount department stores, neighborhood grocery stores and a membership warehouse chain, Sam’s Club. The company’s merchandising mix covers groceries, household goods, apparel, electronics and pharmacy services, supplemented by private-label products and category-specific offerings. Walmart pairs its physical store network with online platforms and mobile applications to provide omnichannel shopping, fulfillment and delivery options for consumers and businesses.

The company was founded by Sam Walton, who opened the first store in Rogers, Arkansas in 1962; it is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.

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