Leonteq Securities AG Takes $1.25 Million Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Leonteq Securities AG opened a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter, buying 11,225 shares valued at about $1.25 million.
• Walmart’s latest quarter showed solid results, with EPS of $0.66 and revenue of $177.75 billion, both ahead of expectations. The company also posted strong growth in global e-commerce and advertising revenue.
• Despite the earnings beat, Walmart’s Q2 guidance came in below analyst forecasts, which is weighing on the stock. Management also warned that high gas prices could pressure consumers and increase logistics costs.

Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 11,225 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,250,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Fox Run Management L.L.C. acquired a new position in Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,709,000. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,010,886 shares of the retailer's stock worth $104,182,000 after acquiring an additional 28,026 shares in the last quarter. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 466.6% during the 3rd quarter. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners now owns 13,343 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,375,000 after acquiring an additional 10,988 shares in the last quarter. Florida Trust Wealth Management Co boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 7.0% during the 4th quarter. Florida Trust Wealth Management Co now owns 196,648 shares of the retailer's stock worth $21,909,000 after acquiring an additional 12,794 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pensionfund Sabic bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $4,378,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart reported Q1 EPS of $0.66, ahead of estimates, on revenue of $177.75 billion, also above expectations. The company also highlighted strong underlying growth drivers, including 26% global e-commerce growth and 37% growth in advertising revenue. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed its long-term strategy and kept annual targets in place, which supports the view that Walmart’s core business remains resilient despite a cautious consumer backdrop. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts noted that Walmart continues to benefit from value-seeking shoppers, but the market is also watching whether the company can sustain growth if consumers become more stressed by inflation and higher fuel costs. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s Q2 guidance came in below analyst forecasts, with EPS and revenue outlooks both disappointing investors. That weaker near-term guidance is the main reason the stock is falling today. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Management warned that high gas prices are squeezing household budgets and raising Walmart’s transportation and logistics costs, increasing the risk of margin pressure even as shoppers shift toward cheaper purchases. Article Title

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $121.34 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $126.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $120.03. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $93.43 and a twelve month high of $135.15. The company has a market cap of $967.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.28, a PEG ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.61 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter 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. Research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total value of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. This trade represents a 3.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.84, for a total value of $1,638,525.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 674,162 shares of the company's stock, valued at $84,162,384.08. This represents a 1.91% 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 three months, insiders have sold 109,983 shares of company stock worth $13,908,797. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Argus upgraded Walmart to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Wolfe Research reiterated 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. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $147.00 price target (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $138.91.

About Walmart

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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