Van ECK Associates Corp Has $104.18 Million Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• VanEck increased its Walmart stake 2.9% in Q3 to 1,010,886 shares, valued at approximately $104.18 million at quarter-end.
• Insider selling has been notable: CEO C. Douglas McMillon sold 19,416 shares and EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000, with insiders selling 279,703 shares worth about $34.14 million in the last 90 days (insiders now own 0.10% of the stock).
• Walmart beat Q4 estimates with $0.74 EPS (vs. $0.73) and $190.66B revenue (+5.6% YoY), set FY2027 EPS guidance of 2.75–2.85, and carries a MarketBeat consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with a $135.76 target.

Van ECK Associates Corp grew its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 2.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,010,886 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 28,026 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp's holdings in Walmart were worth $104,182,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 28.8% in the fourth 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 period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in Walmart by 5.8% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $800,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares in the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Management lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 3.5% during the 1st quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer's stock worth $4,416,000 after buying an additional 1,715 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted 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 purchasing an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.2% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 91,341 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,931,000 after buying an additional 1,048 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Friday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.83, for a total transaction of $2,171,291.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,315,333 shares in the company, valued at approximately $482,583,689.39. This trade represents a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total transaction of $2,445,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 506,764 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $61,962,034.28. This represents a 3.80% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 279,703 shares of company stock valued at $34,140,843. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Roth Mkm reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $145.00 target price on Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $135.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $135.76.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $125.12 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The stock has a market cap of $997.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.66, a P/E/G ratio of 4.63 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $79.81 and a 52 week high of $134.69. The business's 50 day moving average price is $122.37 and its 200-day moving average price is $111.44.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share 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 prior year, the firm earned $0.66 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter 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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.2475 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Walmart's payout ratio is currently 34.31%.

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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