Pacer Advisors Inc. Purchases 42,319 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Pacer Advisors increased its Walmart stake by 12.4% in the first quarter, purchasing 42,319 additional shares and bringing its holdings to 384,700 shares valued at approximately $47.8 million.
• Walmart reported quarterly revenue of $177.75 billion, up 7.4% year over year and above analyst expectations, while earnings per share matched estimates at $0.66.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $138.56; however, Walmart insiders sold 67,729 shares worth about $8.1 million over the past three months.

Pacer Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 12.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 384,700 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 42,319 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $47,811,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 57.4% in the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 193.0% in the 4th quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sankala Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Down 0.4%

WMT opened at $110.71 on Tuesday. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $95.42 and a 12 month high of $135.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The business's 50-day moving average price is $114.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $121.89. The company has a market cap of $881.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.85, a P/E/G ratio of 4.15 and a beta of 0.61.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The company 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%.Walmart's quarterly 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. On average, equities analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Walmart from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $137.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. BNP Paribas Exane cut their price objective on Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, June 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.56.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.08, for a total value of $1,628,550.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 661,037 shares of the company's stock, valued at $82,021,470.96. The trade was a 1.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 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 stock was 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 directly owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. The trade was a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 67,729 shares of company stock valued at $8,124,931. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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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