PNC Financial Services Group Inc. Reduces Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• PNC Financial Services Group trimmed its Walmart stake slightly in the fourth quarter, selling 29,997 shares and reducing its position by 0.8%. It still held 3.87 million shares valued at about $431.2 million.
• Walmart reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $0.74 topping estimates and revenue of $190.66 billion exceeding expectations. Revenue rose 5.6% year over year, and the company also maintained a quarterly dividend yielding about 0.7%.
• Despite some insider selling, Wall Street remains bullish on Walmart, with multiple firms raising price targets and the consensus rating staying at “Buy.” The stock was also trading near its 52-week high, reflecting continued investor confidence.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. decreased its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 0.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,870,607 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 29,997 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $431,224,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Saranac Partners Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 17.6% in the 4th quarter. Saranac Partners Ltd now owns 76,790 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,570,000 after purchasing an additional 11,517 shares during the period. Tredje AP fonden grew its stake in Walmart by 42.5% in the fourth quarter. Tredje AP fonden now owns 1,309,785 shares of the retailer's stock worth $145,923,000 after purchasing an additional 390,460 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its stake in Walmart by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 1,760,513 shares of the retailer's stock worth $196,139,000 after purchasing an additional 24,378 shares during the period. Paul R. Ried Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $217,000. Finally, Hartford Funds Management Co LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 70.0% in the fourth quarter. Hartford Funds Management Co LLC now owns 23,075 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,571,000 after purchasing an additional 9,505 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT opened at $134.20 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $1.07 trillion, a PE ratio of 48.98, a P/E/G ratio of 4.93 and a beta of 0.65. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $126.78 and a 200-day moving average price of $119.68. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $93.43 and a 1 year high of $135.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. Walmart's revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.66 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart's payout ratio is presently 36.13%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.21, for a total transaction of $2,566,989.36. Following the sale, the director owned 4,193,995 shares of the company's stock, valued at $554,488,078.95. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.84, for a total transaction of $1,638,525.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 674,162 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $84,162,384.08. This trade represents a 1.91% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders sold 167,190 shares of company stock worth $20,975,838. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $147.00 target price (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Walmart from $127.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. DA Davidson set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Oppenheimer restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $140.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, KeyCorp restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $145.00 price objective (up from $128.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.88.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have been raising price targets and reiterating bullish ratings on Walmart ahead of earnings, reflecting confidence in the company’s execution and near-term outlook. Walmart stock: Here’s why analysts are raising price targets before Q1 earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is benefiting from its scale, digital expansion, and higher-margin businesses, which are helping it outperform rivals and absorb tariff-related cost pressure better than peers. Scale, online push and loyalty fees: how Walmart won the year of the tariffs
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expected to deliver solid Q1 results, with investors watching for continued omnichannel momentum, e-commerce growth, and gains in ads and membership revenue. Walmart Looks Strong Ahead of Q1 Earnings: Should Investors Stay Put?
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s push into AI and automation could support margins over time by improving fulfillment efficiency and lowering operating costs. Walmart's AI and Automation Push: Long-Term Cost Advantage?
• Neutral Sentiment: One small insider sale by EVP Daniel Bartlett is a headline risk, but it was a pre-arranged 10b5-1 transaction and does not appear to signal a major change in outlook. SEC Form 4 filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader retail comparisons and market worries around consumer spending and geopolitics may create short-term volatility, but they also reinforce Walmart’s defensive appeal. NVDA, WMT Report This Week, but News on the Strait Is Key

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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