United Super Pty Ltd in its capacity as Trustee for the Construction & Building Unions Superannuation Fund Has $33.45 Million Stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Key Points

• United Super Pty Ltd increased its stake in Walmart Inc. by 28.2% in Q1, holding a total of 381,019 shares valued at approximately $33.45 million, making Walmart its 29th largest holding.
• Institutional investors collectively own 26.76% of Walmart stock, with several firms, including Northern Trust Corp and Nuveen Asset Management LLC, increasing their holdings significantly in the last quarter.
• Walmart's latest earnings report showed an EPS of $0.61, exceeding analysts' estimates, and the company's revenue increased by 2.5% year-over-year, amounting to about $165.61 billion.

United Super Pty Ltd in its capacity as Trustee for the Construction & Building Unions Superannuation Fund boosted its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 28.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 381,019 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 83,781 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for about 1.4% of United Super Pty Ltd in its capacity as Trustee for the Construction & Building Unions Superannuation Fund's portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest holding. United Super Pty Ltd in its capacity as Trustee for the Construction & Building Unions Superannuation Fund's holdings in Walmart were worth $33,450,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Northern Trust Corp increased its holdings in Walmart by 8.9% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 43,641,936 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,943,049,000 after buying an additional 3,550,037 shares during the period. Nuveen Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 29,843,892 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,696,396,000 after purchasing an additional 233,040 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 28,365,122 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,562,789,000 after purchasing an additional 368,711 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 11.4% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 25,917,346 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,341,632,000 after buying an additional 2,643,413 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 11,550,898 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,014,053,000 after buying an additional 197,230 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on WMT shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $115.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, June 9th. KeyCorp raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, June 9th. Finally, Raymond James Financial decreased their target price on shares of Walmart from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $106.67.

Walmart Trading Up 0.4%

WMT opened at $98.40 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $66.67 and a twelve month high of $105.30. The company has a fifty day moving average of $96.86 and a 200-day moving average of $95.03. The stock has a market cap of $785.27 billion, a PE ratio of 42.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.72 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.76% and a net margin of 2.75%. The firm had revenue of $165.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $164.53 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.60 EPS. The business's revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.58, for a total transaction of $1,855,781.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,412,398 shares of the company's stock, valued at $421,737,000.84. This represents a 0.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.14, for a total transaction of $1,248,712.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 932,313 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $88,700,258.82. This trade represents a 1.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 143,912 shares of company stock valued at $13,863,813 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Walmart Profile

Walmart Inc engages in the operation of retail, wholesale, other units, and eCommerce worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club. It operates supercenters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, cash and carry stores, and discount stores under Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands; membership-only warehouse clubs; ecommerce websites, such as walmart.com.mx, walmart.ca, flipkart.com, PhonePe and other sites; and mobile commerce applications.

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