Principal Financial Group Inc. Sells 248,091 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group reduced its Walmart stake by 4.0% in the first quarter, selling 248,091 shares and ending with 5,928,783 shares worth about $736.8 million.
• Insider selling has continued, with Walmart executives including EVP David W. Guggina and CEO John R. Furner making recent sales under pre-arranged 10b5-1 plans; insiders sold 104,505 shares over the last 90 days.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive on Walmart, with a Moderate Buy consensus rating and an average price target of $138.85, while the company’s latest quarter showed EPS in line with estimates and revenue above expectations.

Principal Financial Group Inc. decreased its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 4.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,928,783 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 248,091 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.07% of Walmart worth $736,829,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its stake 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 valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 193.0% during 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 period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.84, for a total value of $1,638,525.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 674,162 shares in the company, valued at $84,162,384.08. The trade was a 1.91% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 104,505 shares of company stock worth $12,858,514. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WMT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Guggenheim lifted their target price on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $140.00 target price on Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.85.

Walmart Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $114.78 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $913.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.25 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The business has a 50-day moving average of $120.14 and a two-hundred day moving average of $122.06. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $94.38 and a 1 year high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 previous year, the firm earned $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, equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary are emphasizing Walmart’s defensive profile versus peers, arguing that WMT offers strong recession-resistant exposure and an edge in AI integration and automation. Walmart Vs. Costco: Buy Walmart Over Costco for Defensive Coverage and AI Integration Superiority
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage says Walmart+ is helping drive recurring revenue, record membership additions, and stronger digital engagement, supported by faster delivery and broader omnichannel growth. Can Walmart+ Membership Keep WMT's Growth Momentum Alive?
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple articles frame WMT as a stock investors are watching closely, with one note highlighting that the shares have recently moved higher and asking whether they remain attractive to buy. Walmart NASDAQ: WMT Shares Up 1.5% - Time to Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Options-market activity suggests traders are positioning for a larger move in Walmart, but the headline does not specify direction, so the near-term impact is uncertain. Are Options Traders Betting on a Big Move in Walmart Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Other articles mainly compare Walmart with peers or note that it is trending among investors, which adds visibility but does not point to a clear catalyst on its own. JSAIY or WMT: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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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