King Luther Capital Management Corp Acquires 113,952 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• King Luther Capital Management increased its Walmart stake by 8.8% in the fourth quarter, buying 113,952 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 1,415,423 shares worth about $157.7 million.
• Institutional investors remain heavily involved in Walmart, with hedge funds and other institutions owning 26.76% of the company’s stock and several firms either adding to or starting positions recently.
• Walmart’s stock and outlook remain mixed: the company posted strong quarterly revenue growth and met EPS expectations, but shares were down 1.4% in the latest session, and analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy” with a consensus target of $138.71.

King Luther Capital Management Corp raised its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 8.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,415,423 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 113,952 shares during the period. King Luther Capital Management Corp's holdings in Walmart were worth $157,692,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in Walmart during the third quarter valued at about $1,709,000. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its position in Walmart by 2.9% during the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,010,886 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $104,182,000 after purchasing an additional 28,026 shares in the last quarter. Life Cycle Investment Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at about $40,855,000. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners raised its position in Walmart by 466.6% during the third quarter. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners now owns 13,343 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,375,000 after purchasing an additional 10,988 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Florida Trust Wealth Management Co raised its position in Walmart by 7.0% during the fourth quarter. Florida Trust Wealth Management Co now owns 196,648 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $21,909,000 after purchasing an additional 12,794 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.21, for a total transaction of $2,566,989.36. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,193,995 shares in the company, valued at $554,488,078.95. The trade was a 0.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total value of $2,555,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 126,008 shares of company stock worth $15,896,715 over the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WMT has been the topic of a number of research reports. KeyCorp restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, April 20th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 price objective on Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $140.00 price objective (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price objective on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.71.

Walmart Stock Down 1.4%

WMT opened at $118.57 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $945.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.60, a P/E/G ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.65. The business's 50-day moving average price is $126.51 and its 200-day moving average price is $120.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $93.43 and a 12 month high of $135.15.

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

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is set to join the top 10 of the Russell 3000 during the June 2026 reconstitution, a sign of its large market footprint and institutional relevance. Walmart Joins Russell 3000 Elite As Investors Weigh Q1 Shakeup
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart launched a logistics program to streamline its distribution network, which could improve supplier flow, efficiency, and long-term operating performance. Walmart Debuts Program to Streamline Distribution Network
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to point to Walmart’s expanding higher-margin “second P&L” businesses, including advertising, marketplace fees, and membership income, which support the stock’s long-term growth case. Walmart price target lowered by UBS as Q1 results miss elevated expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s Q1 revenue rose 7.3% to $177.8 billion, and global e-commerce jumped 26%, showing that customer demand and digital growth remain strong. Walmart's Q1 Sales Jump 7.3%: Can E-commerce Sustain 26% Growth?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is drawing increased investor attention as a trending stock, reflecting elevated trading interest after earnings. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Negative Sentiment: Several reports highlight that Walmart’s shares have pulled back sharply after Q1 because fuel and other costs are squeezing margins and management’s outlook came in below expectations. Walmart Sinks 8.1% Post Q1 Earnings: Exit WMT Stock or Stay Put?
• Negative Sentiment: UBS lowered its price target on Walmart after the quarter, reinforcing concerns that investor expectations had gotten too high. Walmart price target lowered by UBS as Q1 results miss elevated expectations
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart issued a nationwide recall for Blackstone parmesan ranch seasoning over a fatal infection risk, creating a reputational and product-safety overhang. Walmart issues nationwide recall for Blackstone parmesan ranch seasoning over fatal infection risk

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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