Walmart Inc. $WMT Position Lessened by Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC

Key Points

• Allspring Global Investments Holdings cut its Walmart stake by 26.8% in the third quarter, selling 545,953 shares; it held 1,491,802 shares valued at about $155.5 million at quarter-end.
• Analysts remain broadly positive: Walmart has a consensus Buy rating and an average price target of $129.62.
• Walmart reported quarterly EPS of $0.81, beating the $0.74 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 5.9% year over year to $187.94 billion.

Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC cut its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 26.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,491,802 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 545,953 shares during the quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $155,535,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 6.8% in the 3rd quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 2,326,227 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $241,742,000 after acquiring an additional 148,190 shares in the last quarter. Allen Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Allen Investment Management LLC now owns 180,953 shares of the retailer's stock worth $18,806,000 after purchasing an additional 2,285 shares during the period. Verus Capital Partners LLC grew its position in Walmart by 18.0% during the 3rd quarter. Verus Capital Partners LLC now owns 19,067 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,981,000 after purchasing an additional 2,906 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its position in Walmart by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 168,325 shares of the retailer's stock worth $17,492,000 after purchasing an additional 4,427 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tamar Securities LLC grew its position in Walmart by 5.6% during the 3rd quarter. Tamar Securities LLC now owns 4,754 shares of the retailer's stock worth $494,000 after purchasing an additional 251 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on WMT shares. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $132.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on shares of Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Guggenheim set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Truist Financial set a $114.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Walmart from $130.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $129.62.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $125.52 on Monday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $112.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $118.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $995.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.31, a P/E/G ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $98.88 and a 52 week high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.68 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,346 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.51, for a total transaction of $416,610.46. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 615,013 shares in the company, valued at $76,575,268.63. This represents a 0.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.60, for a total transaction of $349,740.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 563,353 shares in the company, valued at approximately $67,940,371.80. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 268,222 shares of company stock worth $31,604,051 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ETFs added a net $40.3 million of Walmart shares on Nov. 4, indicating institutional fund demand. 54 ETFs Add to Walmart (WMT) on Wednesday
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its drone-delivery partnership with Zipline, which has raised $1.5 billion at a $21.5 billion valuation. A broader partnership could help Walmart improve delivery capabilities, though the articles do not specify its financial impact. Zipline hits $21.5B valuation as Walmart expands bet on drone delivery
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is working with Meta to integrate its Muse AI shopping agent into the online shopping experience, a move that could create new ways to reach customers and facilitate purchases. What Is Walmart (WMT) Betting On With Its New AI Shopping Agent?
• Neutral Sentiment: A report on potential rate hikes discusses consumer-staples stocks as potentially attractive in that environment. Higher rates may also pressure valuations, so the implication for Walmart is mixed. Rate Hikes Could Be Coming: History Likes These 4 Consumer Staples Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart executive Suresh Kumar sold 166,342 shares. Insider sales can weigh on sentiment, although a sale alone does not establish a change in the company’s outlook. Walmart Stock: Insider Suresh Kumar Sells 166,342 Shares

About Walmart

Walmart is a multinational retailer that operates discount stores, supercenters, neighborhood markets, and membership warehouse clubs. Its business includes Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club.

The company sells groceries and a broad range of general merchandise, including apparel, electronics, household goods, and health and wellness products. Walmart also serves customers through e-commerce, with services such as order pickup and delivery.

Founded by Sam Walton in 1962, Walmart is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.

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