Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. Cuts Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Mesirow Financial Investment Management cut its Walmart stake by 16% in the fourth quarter, selling 38,825 shares and leaving it with 204,133 shares worth about $22.7 million.
• Walmart reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, posting $0.74 EPS on revenue of $190.66 billion, both topping analyst estimates and showing 5.6% year-over-year revenue growth.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.2475 per share, while Wall Street remains broadly positive with an average analyst rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $138.67.

Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. lessened its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 16.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 204,133 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 38,825 shares during the period. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $22,743,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,955 shares of the retailer's stock worth $552,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group now owns 14,475 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,613,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Matrix Trust Co lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 20.0% in the 4th quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 547 shares of the retailer's stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HRC Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. HRC Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,209 shares of the retailer's stock worth $246,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Trading Up 0.9%

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $131.47 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $126.21 and a 200 day moving average of $118.87. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $91.89 and a 52 week high of $134.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.05 trillion, a P/E ratio of 47.98, a P/E/G ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.66 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is 36.13%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total value of $4,158,004.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 533,466 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,082,852. This represents a 6.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares of the company's stock, valued at $62,203,571.56. This trade represents a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 167,195 shares of company stock worth $20,975,804. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on WMT. Argus upgraded shares of Walmart to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $147.00 price objective (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, April 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Citigroup restated a "buy" rating and issued a $147.00 price objective (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $138.67.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s restructuring appears aimed at streamlining operations and improving coordination across tech and AI teams, which could boost efficiency and profitability if executed well.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary ahead of earnings remains constructive, with reports highlighting Walmart’s strong earnings-surprise track record and arguing that its premium valuation is justified by growth and execution.
• Positive Sentiment: Pre-earnings research from major analysts has reiterated favorable views on Walmart, suggesting expectations remain high heading into the company’s quarterly report.
• Neutral Sentiment: The job cuts were reported to be part of an internal reorganization rather than a direct response to AI replacing workers, which limits the read-through to near-term fundamentals. Walmart lays off or relocates about 1,000 corporate workers, WSJ reports
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles also framed the move as a broader digital-transformation effort, but the actual earnings impact is still unclear until Walmart reports results and guidance.
• Negative Sentiment: Layoffs can sometimes signal management caution or cost pressure, and investor reaction may be tempered by the fact that Walmart’s shares already trade at a premium valuation ahead of earnings.

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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