Metis Global Partners LLC Has $21.04 Million Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Metis Global Partners LLC cut its Walmart stake by 6.0% in the fourth quarter, selling 11,958 shares and ending with 188,834 shares worth about $21.0 million.
• Several other major institutional investors also increased their Walmart positions, including Vanguard, State Street, Geode Capital, and Norges Bank, underscoring continued heavyweight ownership of the stock.
• Walmart is advancing its growth strategy through drone delivery, AI-powered warehouses, and other digital initiatives, while its latest earnings met expectations and revenue rose 7.4% year over year.

Metis Global Partners LLC trimmed its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 6.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 188,834 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 11,958 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for about 0.5% of Metis Global Partners LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. Metis Global Partners LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $21,038,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $49,015,626,000 after buying an additional 4,304,436 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 1.2% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $19,046,104,000 after buying an additional 2,242,364 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 6.8% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $11,426,753,000 after buying an additional 6,517,394 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $6,458,529,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $4,526,238,000 after buying an additional 328,229 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its drone delivery program with Alphabet’s Wing, adding another fast-delivery capability that could strengthen its e-commerce and convenience moat. Eyes on the sky: Walmart and Alphabet's Wing expand their drone delivery program
• Positive Sentiment: Business Insider reported that Walmart’s AI-powered warehouses are speeding up freight handling and reducing the time store employees need to unload trucks, a sign that automation is improving efficiency and potentially margins. Walmart's AI-powered warehouses are slashing the time it takes store employees to unload trucks
• Positive Sentiment: Recent conference appearances suggest management is highlighting Walmart’s growth in digital, e-commerce, and higher-margin services, which may reinforce the long-term bull case for the stock. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Presents at Oppenheimer 26th Annual Consumer Growth and E-Commerce Conference Transcript Walmart Inc. (WMT) Presents at The 6th Annual Evercore Consumer & Retail Conference Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain split on Walmart, indicating the market is still weighing the company’s growth initiatives against its valuation. Analysts Have Conflicting Sentiments on These Consumer Goods Companies: Walmart (WMT), Campbell Soup (CPB) and JM Smucker (SJM)
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage around Walmart’s retail media expansion, Subway integration, and broader digital transformation has raised questions about valuation, but also underscores the company’s push into higher-margin services. Walmart Media Expansion And Delivery Push Raise Questions For WMT Valuation Walmart (WMT) Valuation Check As Subway Integration And Higher Margin Services Draw New Attention Walmart's No. 2 Ranking Hides a Digital Transformation Story

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was 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. This trade represents a 8.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total value of $359,368.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 577,853 shares in the company, valued at approximately $71,607,543.76. This trade represents a 0.50% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 117,008 shares of company stock worth $14,492,704. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $120.59 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $959.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.59. 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 1-year low of $93.43 and a 1-year high of $135.15. The business's 50 day moving average is $125.43 and its 200-day moving average is $121.56.

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, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Equities research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 price objective on Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, April 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. KeyCorp reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Bank of America assumed coverage on Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 27th. They set a "buy" rating and a $150.00 target price on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.85.

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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