Hsbc Holdings PLC Grows Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its Walmart stake by 17.1% in the fourth quarter, buying an additional 1.58 million shares and bringing its total to 10.8 million shares worth about $1.2 billion.
• Several other institutional investors also raised their positions, while hedge funds and other institutions now own 26.76% of Walmart’s stock overall.
• Wall Street remains constructive on Walmart, with analysts assigning an average “Moderate Buy” rating and a consensus price target of $138.85; the company also reported quarterly EPS in line with expectations and revenue above estimates.

Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 17.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 10,797,752 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 1,575,452 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for about 0.7% of Hsbc Holdings PLC's holdings, making the stock its 19th biggest position. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned 0.14% of Walmart worth $1,203,175,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Renaissance Group LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 9,636 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,074,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. lifted its position in Walmart by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,033,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the period. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,392 shares of the retailer's stock worth $378,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in Walmart by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,561 shares of the retailer's stock worth $285,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capstone Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Walmart by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,955 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $552,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on WMT shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. Wolfe Research restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 target price (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 11th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $135.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $138.85.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.84, for a total value of $1,638,525.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 674,162 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $84,162,384.08. This trade represents a 1.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total transaction of $1,308,670.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at $14,300,550.91. The trade was a 8.38% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 117,246 shares of company stock valued at $14,493,147 over the last quarter. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Walmart Stock Performance

Walmart stock opened at $117.18 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $932.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.37 and a beta of 0.59. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $94.23 and a 12 month high of $135.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The stock's 50-day moving average is $124.61 and its 200-day moving average is $122.04.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.61 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Company 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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