KBC Group NV Trims Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• KBC Group NV trimmed its Walmart stake by 1.5% in the first quarter, selling 14,110 shares and leaving it with 932,621 shares valued at about $115.9 million.
• Walmart’s latest quarter showed solid growth, with EPS of $0.66 matching estimates and revenue of $177.75 billion topping expectations, up 7.4% year over year.
• Wall Street remains largely constructive on Walmart, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $138.85, even as some analysts note its premium valuation.

KBC Group NV reduced its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 1.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 932,621 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 14,110 shares during the period. KBC Group NV's holdings in Walmart were worth $115,896,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Advisortrust Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 20.2% in the 1st quarter. Advisortrust Partners LLC now owns 67,142 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,344,000 after purchasing an additional 11,283 shares during the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 253.3% during the 1st quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 384,034 shares of the retailer's stock worth $47,728,000 after buying an additional 275,337 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 2.9% during the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 2,416,580 shares of the retailer's stock worth $300,333,000 after buying an additional 68,632 shares during the last quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. raised its position in shares of Walmart by 42.1% in the 4th quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 275,341 shares of the retailer's stock worth $30,676,000 after buying an additional 81,635 shares during the period. Finally, Gerald Baker Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the first quarter valued at about $20,016,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Performance

Walmart stock opened at $114.24 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $909.13 billion, a PE ratio of 40.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.60. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $94.43 and a one year high of $135.15. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $118.82 and its 200 day moving average price is $122.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The transaction 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, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.08, for a total transaction of $1,628,550.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 661,037 shares in the company, valued at $82,021,470.96. This trade represents a 1.95% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 87,145 shares of company stock valued at $10,691,920. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: June U.S. retail sales held up, suggesting consumers are still spending as Walmart heads into the back-to-school season; that could support traffic and sales volumes if the company remains aggressive on pricing. Retail Sales Hold Up as Walmart and Amazon Go Back to School
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is also being discussed in multiple market and analyst roundups, with commentary focusing on its strong digital growth and role as a defensive stock, but these pieces do not appear to include a major new business update. Walmart Commands a 36.74X Forward P/E: Is the Stock Worth Buying?
• Neutral Sentiment: An article about AI and retail highlighted that Walmart is investing in automation while still emphasizing workers, which reinforces its long-term strategy but is unlikely to move the stock on its own. Walmart's people chief says these 10 jobs are still hot in the age of AI
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts argue Walmart’s premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointment, with one note saying momentum alone may not justify the stock’s high forward P/E. Walmart's Momentum Cannot Justify The Premium
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart has also been the subject of bearish commentary saying the recent sell-off may not be over, adding to investor caution around the shares. Walmart: The Sell-Off Isn't Over Yet (Rating Upgrade)

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on WMT. Wolfe Research restated an "outperform" rating and set a $137.00 price target (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 target price (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $138.85.

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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