Oslo Pensjonsforsikring AS Acquires Shares of 15,762 Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Oslo Pensjonsforsikring AS initiated a new position in Walmart during the first quarter, buying 15,762 shares worth about $1.96 million. The stake represents roughly 0.3% of its portfolio and is its 26th largest holding.
• Walmart’s latest quarterly results were solid, with earnings per share of $0.66 matching expectations and revenue of $177.75 billion topping estimates. Revenue rose 7.4% year over year, and the company reaffirmed upbeat guidance for future periods.
• Recent activity around the stock has been mixed: analysts largely maintain a Moderate Buy view, but insiders have been selling shares and some commentary says Walmart faces valuation pressure. There are also short-term concerns from a lettuce recall, even as Walmart continues attracting new brands and growth on its marketplace.

Oslo Pensjonsforsikring AS bought a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 15,762 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,959,000. Walmart comprises approximately 0.3% of Oslo Pensjonsforsikring AS's investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Walmart by 57.4% in the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 193.0% in the fourth quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT stock opened at $110.39 on Wednesday. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $95.29 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market cap of $878.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.18 and a beta of 0.60. The business has a fifty day moving average of $118.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $122.11.

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, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The company's revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $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. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is still attracting new brands to its platform, with candy maker Final Boss Sour raising funding and securing shelf space at the retailer. That supports Walmart’s marketplace growth strategy and could help improve traffic and monetization over time. Walmart (WMT) Faces A Fresh Valuation Test As New Brands Join Its Platform
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted a rebound in Walmart’s general merchandise business, including fashion, hardlines, private brands, and marketplace growth, which could lift margins if the trend continues. Can Walmart's General Merchandise Revival Unlock Higher Margins?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart was mentioned in broader ecommerce-stock watch lists, which is not a direct catalyst but suggests continued investor attention on the retail and online commerce space. Top Ecommerce Stocks To Watch Now - July 18th
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market headlines about renewed U.S.-Iran tensions and potential energy-price pressure may be weighing on consumer sentiment and creating a modest headwind for Walmart’s near-term trading. As the U.S.-Iran war heats up again, these parts of the stock market and economy could be affected
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart pulled certain lettuce items amid cyclosporiasis-linked recalls, which can create short-term reputational and operational concerns for the grocer. Walmart pulls lettuce items amid cyclosporiasis-linked recalls
• Negative Sentiment: The stock also faces valuation pressure, with recent commentary noting that Walmart’s share performance has lagged and that investors are reassessing how much growth is already priced in. Walmart (WMT) Faces A Fresh Valuation Test As New Brands Join Its Platform

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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. This represents a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 87,145 shares of company stock valued at $10,691,920 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on WMT shares. Truist Financial set a $140.00 price objective on Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Wolfe Research restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 target price (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 11th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Finally, Erste Group Bank cut shares of Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has an average 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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