Strategic Planning Group LLC Has $26.29 Million Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Strategic Planning Group LLC increased its Walmart stake by 4.4% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holding to 235,989 shares worth about $26.29 million.
• Walmart continues to attract broad institutional interest, with firms like Vanguard, AQR, and Amundi also raising positions; institutional investors now own 26.76% of the company.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on the stock, with a consensus Buy rating and average price target of $138.33, even as some commentary points to margin pressure and rising labor costs in California.

Strategic Planning Group LLC increased its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 4.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 235,989 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 9,977 shares during the period. Walmart comprises about 3.4% of Strategic Planning Group LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest position. Strategic Planning Group LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $26,292,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in WMT. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 188.1% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,199,907,000 after purchasing an additional 7,614,172 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Walmart by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer's stock worth $49,015,626,000 after purchasing an additional 4,304,436 shares during the last quarter. Amundi lifted its stake in Walmart by 20.5% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 23,497,921 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,413,236,000 after purchasing an additional 4,004,277 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S bought a new position in Walmart during the third quarter worth $294,621,000. Finally, PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab bought a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $280,736,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 674,162 shares in the company, valued at approximately $84,162,384.08. This trade represents a 1.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total value of $2,555,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at $62,203,571.56. This trade represents a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 167,195 shares of company stock valued at $20,975,804 in the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley revisited Walmart’s stock ahead of earnings, a sign that major analysts are still actively monitoring the name and may update their outlook based on the upcoming report. Morgan Stanley revisits Walmart stock price target pre-earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s recent long-term stock performance remains strong, with shares up sharply over the past year, which can support investor confidence despite short-term volatility. Is It Too Late To Consider Walmart (WMT) After Its Strong 1 Year Share Price Run?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s stock was identified as falling while the broader market gained, reflecting sector rotation and profit-taking rather than a company-specific shock. Walmart (WMT) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here's Why
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed no meaningful borrowing activity, so this does not currently point to a major bearish trading setup in the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted pressure on Walmart’s margins as grocery and health categories grow, suggesting profitability may remain under scrutiny even as sales trends hold up. Walmart's Category Mix Pressures Margins: More Pain Ahead?
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart is preparing for California’s new $18 minimum wage rules, which could add labor cost pressure in a key market and weigh on margins. Walmart braces for new $18 California law — it's slightly different for every city
• Negative Sentiment: Target’s new push to win back families, starting in the baby aisle, adds competitive pressure in a category where Walmart competes for budget-conscious shoppers. Target is trying to win back busy families from Walmart, starting with the baby aisle

Walmart Stock Performance

WMT stock opened at $127.59 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.02 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.57, a PEG ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $91.89 and a 1 year high of $134.69. The stock's fifty day moving average is $126.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $118.54.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted 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. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.66 earnings per share. 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, research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.13%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently issued reports on WMT. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Oppenheimer restated an "outperform" rating and set a $140.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, February 9th. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price objective (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday. Mizuho raised their price objective on Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, HSBC cut Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $122.00 to $131.00 in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Two equities research 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $138.33.

Walmart Company 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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