Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Lowers Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Pictet Asset Management reduced its Walmart stake by 4.2% in the first quarter, selling 93,794 shares and leaving it with 2,137,933 shares valued at about $265.7 million.
• Several other institutional investors also adjusted their positions, while hedge funds and other institutions still own 26.76% of Walmart’s shares.
• Walmart reported quarterly earnings in line with estimates, with $0.66 EPS and $177.75 billion in revenue, while analysts remain largely bullish with a Moderate Buy consensus and a price target of $138.85.

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA lessened its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 4.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,137,933 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 93,794 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA's holdings in Walmart were worth $265,696,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the first quarter worth $29,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $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 during the period. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC grew its position 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 period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

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Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on 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 $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 accessible 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 dated 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 directly owned 120,203 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. The trade was a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 100,730 shares of company stock valued at $12,444,624. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $114.60 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $123.54 and a 200 day moving average price of $122.22. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $94.23 and a twelve month high of $135.15. The stock has a market cap of $912.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.31 and a beta of 0.60.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates 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 analysts' expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.61 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly 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. Equities research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Freedom Capital raised shares of Walmart from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $145.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, June 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.85.

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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