Natixis Advisors LLC Increases Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC increased its Walmart stake by 2.2% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 2.53 million shares valued at about $281.8 million.
• Walmart continues to expand its delivery capabilities, including more than 1 million drone deliveries and 30-minute delivery now available in 33 U.S. markets.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on Walmart, with a Moderate Buy consensus and a median price target of $138.85, even as insiders recently sold shares and one report said the company limited employee AI use.

Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 2.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,529,236 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 54,859 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $281,783,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. Capstone Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 89 shares during the period. Ellenbecker Investment Group increased its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Matrix Trust Co increased its stake in Walmart by 20.0% in the 4th quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 547 shares of the retailer's stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,362 shares of the retailer's stock worth $263,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart said its drones have now completed more than 1 million deliveries, highlighting momentum in its fast-growing delivery network and reinforcing its push to improve convenience and speed for shoppers. Walmart Marks Millionth Drone Drop-Off Amid Increased Delivery Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart expanded 30-minute delivery to 33 U.S. markets, strengthening its competitive position in grocery, pharmacy, and everyday essentials as e-commerce demand continues to rise. Walmart's 30-Minute Delivery Expansion Strengthens Its Retail Edge
• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial reportedly raised its price target on Walmart, citing AI investments gaining traction, which suggests some analysts still see upside from the company’s technology and automation efforts. Walmart (WMT) Gets Higher Price Target from Tigress Financial as AI Investments Gain Traction
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its private-brand selection with new hardware and home products, a move that could help it win value-conscious shoppers, but the near-term stock impact is likely modest. Walmart Expands Private Brand Selection as Shoppers Cut Back
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent insider stock sales by executives, including C. Douglas McMillon and Latriece Watkins, may draw attention, but these transactions are not necessarily a negative signal for the business itself. C Douglas Mcmillon Sells 19,416 Shares of Walmart NASDAQ: WMT Stock Latriece Watkins Sells 11,000 Shares of Walmart NASDAQ: WMT Stock
• Negative Sentiment: A report that Walmart capped employee AI usage could be seen as a short-term operational constraint, potentially limiting efficiency gains from an area investors view as a future growth driver. Update: Market Chatter: Walmart Limits Staff's Usage of AI Tool After High Demand

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Argus raised Walmart to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $145.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price objective on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded Walmart from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.85.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total transaction of $2,303,320.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,174,579 shares in the company, valued at approximately $495,230,306.77. The trade was a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,300,550.91. The trade was a 8.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 117,008 shares of company stock valued at $14,492,704 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Walmart Trading Down 1.0%

NASDAQ WMT opened at $114.60 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $93.43 and a twelve month high of $135.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $913.48 billion, a PE ratio of 40.21, a P/E/G ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 0.60. The stock's 50 day moving average is $125.98 and its 200 day moving average is $120.81.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.61 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. 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 forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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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