Peregrine Asset Advisers Inc. Reduces Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Peregrine Asset Advisers Inc. cut its Walmart stake by 77.7% in the first quarter, selling 36,234 shares and ending with 10,429 shares valued at about $1.3 million.
• Despite that sale, institutional ownership remains substantial: hedge funds and other investors still own 26.76% of Walmart, and several firms have recently added to their positions.
• Wall Street remains bullish on Walmart, with an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.85, while the stock also posted solid quarterly results by meeting EPS expectations and beating revenue estimates.

Peregrine Asset Advisers Inc. lowered its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 77.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,429 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 36,234 shares during the quarter. Peregrine Asset Advisers Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $1,296,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Walmart by 57.4% during the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the period. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on WMT. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, June 8th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Truist Financial set a $140.00 target price on Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Guggenheim upped their target price on Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.85.

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $111.84 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $94.23 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The company has a market capitalization of $890.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.24, a P/E/G ratio of 4.17 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a fifty day moving average of $122.15 and a 200-day moving average of $122.07.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The business had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $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. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. This represents a 8.38% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 104,505 shares of company stock worth $12,858,514. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is being viewed as a defensive winner in a cautious consumer environment, with commentary pointing to resilient grocery spending, strong omnichannel execution, and growth in advertising and membership revenue as reasons the stock could grind higher. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive on Walmart, and new commentary highlighted strong interest in the company’s Google AI partnership for “agentic shopping,” which could support future digital commerce growth and ecosystem monetization. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity showed bullish positioning, with traders buying far more WMT call options than usual, suggesting some investors are betting on a rebound. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street continues to rate Walmart favorably overall, with several firms reiterating buy-equivalent ratings and an average price target above current levels, though not enough to fully offset recent valuation concerns.
• Negative Sentiment: Investor concern remains over slowing U.S. comparable sales and the company’s reliance on price cuts and tariff refunds to manage inventory, which could pressure margins if the trend continues. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares in a pre-arranged 10b5-1 transaction, a routine filing but still a small negative sentiment item for traders. Article Title

Walmart Company 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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