Royal London Asset Management Ltd. Reduces Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Royal London Asset Management Ltd. cut its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 0.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,123,512 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 14,306 shares during the period. Royal London Asset Management Ltd.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $240,509,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in 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 in the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total transaction of $308,386.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $60,523,730.02. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total value of $5,335,345.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 201,672 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,246,145.20. This represents a 20.07% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 77,292 shares of company stock valued at $8,421,143. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT stock opened at $105.92 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $840.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.24, a PEG ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.59. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $96.51 and a twelve month high of $135.15. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $111.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $120.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $186.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.68 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current year.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Opioid lawsuit ends with limited financial impact: Walmart agreed to pay approximately $50 million to resolve a Justice Department lawsuit involving its pharmacies’ opioid-distribution practices. The settlement is described as immaterial relative to Walmart’s profits and substantially below the potentially multibillion-dollar penalties once threatened, reducing a major legal overhang. Walmart escapes major legal penalty for a fraction of the cost
• Positive Sentiment: Marketplace growth remains strong: Walmart’s U.S. marketplace sales reportedly increased 52%, helped by a broader product assortment, increased fulfillment adoption and expansion into Mexico and Canada. Continued marketplace momentum could improve customer engagement and support higher-margin advertising and third-party seller revenue. Walmart's Marketplace Momentum Builds
• Positive Sentiment: International digital operations are improving: Rising e-commerce penetration and reduced losses in Walmart International are improving the segment’s economics. However, ongoing investment and margin pressure could limit the near-term earnings benefit. Walmart International's Digital Mix Rises
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst remains bullish: Tigress Financial reaffirmed its “buy” rating and set a $155 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. SAIC, Walmart And 3 Stocks To Watch
• Neutral Sentiment: Value comparison offers limited direction: Articles comparing Walmart with J. Sainsbury PLC focus on relative valuation rather than a new company-specific catalyst. Walmart’s strong operating profile is balanced by a comparatively elevated earnings multiple, making valuation-sensitive investors more selective. JSAIY vs. WMT: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
• Negative Sentiment: EPS estimates were trimmed: Erste Group Bank lowered its fiscal 2027 earnings-per-share estimates for Walmart, reinforcing concerns that elevated investment, e-commerce costs or margin pressure could constrain profit growth. FY2027 EPS Estimates for Walmart Cut by Erste Group Bank

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on WMT shares. DA Davidson set a $132.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $126.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Walmart from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Guggenheim set a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $131.88.

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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