Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. reduced its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 4.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,398,962 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 63,616 shares during the period. Walmart comprises approximately 0.8% of Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest position. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $156,140,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 28.8% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,868,000 after acquiring an additional 21,939 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $800,000 after acquiring an additional 485 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 3.5% in the 1st quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $4,416,000 after acquiring an additional 1,715 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 13,008 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,272,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 91,341 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,931,000 after acquiring an additional 1,048 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 16th. The stock was 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 directly owned 674,162 shares in the company, valued at $84,162,384.08. This trade represents a 1.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, 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 value of $2,566,989.36. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,193,995 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $554,488,078.95. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. Insiders sold a total of 167,190 shares of company stock worth $20,975,838 over the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
More Walmart News
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s push into AI and automation could support margins over time by improving fulfillment efficiency, boosting order values, and lowering operating costs. Walmart's AI and Automation Push: Long-Term Cost Advantage?
- Positive Sentiment: Investor focus is turning to Walmart’s upcoming earnings report, with analysts watching key operating metrics beyond revenue and EPS for signs that the business is still executing well. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Walmart (WMT) Q1 Earnings, Beyond Revenue and EPS
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart remains a favored defensive retail name as investors compare it with other consumer staples and grocery operators during a volatile market backdrop. Forget Walmart. The Grocer Beating It on Trust and Margin Trades at a Third of the Multiple
- Neutral Sentiment: Several hedge fund filings showed mixed positioning in Walmart, with some managers adding shares and others trimming, which does not clearly change the near-term outlook. Moore Capital Management Boosts Walmart Stake by 3,454 Shares
- Negative Sentiment: EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares in a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 transaction, adding a small insider-sale headline that may slightly pressure sentiment. SEC Form 4 filing
- Negative Sentiment: Broader market attention on geopolitical risk, including the Strait of Hormuz closure, may keep investors cautious and can weigh on sentiment even for defensive stocks like Walmart. NVDA, WMT Report This Week, but News on the Strait Is Key
Walmart Stock Performance
Shares of WMT stock opened at $133.34 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $93.43 and a 52 week high of $134.69. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $126.57 and a 200-day moving average of $119.46. The company has a market cap of $1.06 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.65.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.66 EPS. Walmart's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.
Walmart Announces Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.2475 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is currently 36.13%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
WMT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wolfe Research reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $137.00 price target (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday. Truist Financial lifted their price target on Walmart from $127.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 target price (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $138.88.
Read Our Latest Analysis on WMT
About Walmart
(
Free Report)
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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