OCONNOR A Distinct Business Unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Makes New $1.11 Million Investment in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• OCONNOR, a unit of UBS Asset Management Americas, disclosed a new position in Walmart, buying 10,000 shares worth about $1.11 million in the fourth quarter.
• Walmart reported quarterly earnings of $0.66 per share, matching expectations, while revenue of $177.75 billion topped estimates and rose 7.4% year over year.
• Several analysts remain constructive on the stock, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $138.85, even as a few firms trimmed or downgraded their outlooks.

OCONNOR A Distinct Business Unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 10,000 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,114,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Tobias Financial Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Walmart by 19.1% during the fourth quarter. Tobias Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 11,826 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,318,000 after buying an additional 1,899 shares in the last quarter. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA now owns 11,879 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,323,000 after acquiring an additional 350 shares during the last quarter. Trustco Bank Corp N Y boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Trustco Bank Corp N Y now owns 22,353 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,490,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. Tenzing Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $375,000. Finally, TritonPoint Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,466,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $120.82 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $125.18 and a 200 day simple moving average of $121.88. The firm has a market cap of $961.50 billion, a PE ratio of 42.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.52 and a beta of 0.60. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $93.62 and a 1 year high of $135.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.61 EPS. 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, research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available 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 the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total transaction of $1,308,670.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. This trade represents a 8.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 128,986 shares of company stock worth $15,927,908 over the last quarter. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on WMT. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Guggenheim raised their price target on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average 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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