Sanctuary Advisors LLC Cuts Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Sanctuary Advisors LLC trimmed its Walmart stake by 3.8% in the first quarter, selling 44,118 shares and leaving it with 1,130,844 shares valued at about $140.5 million.
• Walmart continues to show strength in higher-margin growth areas such as advertising, membership, and e-commerce, which are expanding faster than its core store business and supporting its long-term outlook.
• The company recently reported quarterly EPS of $0.66, matching estimates, while revenue of $177.75 billion beat expectations and rose 7.4% year over year; analysts still rate the stock a Moderate Buy with an average target of $138.85.

Sanctuary Advisors LLC lowered its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 3.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,130,844 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 44,118 shares during the period. Walmart comprises 0.8% of Sanctuary Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 18th largest position. Sanctuary Advisors LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $140,541,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Walmart by 57.4% in the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the period. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC raised its position in Walmart by 193.0% in the fourth quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart continues to benefit from strong momentum in higher-margin businesses such as advertising, membership, and e-commerce, which are growing faster than its core store operations and supporting the long-term growth story. Where Will Walmart Stock Be in 5 Years?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart just announced its 53rd dividend increase, reinforcing its appeal as a defensive, income-producing stock for investors looking for steady cash returns. Walmart just declared its 53rd dividend increase
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage also highlights Walmart+ membership growth and faster delivery as drivers of recurring revenue and deeper customer engagement, which could help sustain sales momentum. Can Walmart+ Membership Keep WMT's Growth Momentum Alive?

Walmart Stock Down 0.9%

WMT opened at $113.70 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $904.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.60. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $94.43 and a one year high of $135.15. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $119.80 and a 200-day moving average price of $122.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23.

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, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The firm's revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.61 earnings per share. 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 expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on WMT shares. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. UBS Group set a $141.00 price objective on Walmart and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 target price (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price objective on Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $138.85.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total value of $413,891.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares in the company, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. This represents a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 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 that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total transaction of $2,303,320.08. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,174,579 shares in the company, valued at $495,230,306.77. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 103,170 shares of company stock valued at $12,692,133 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

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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