Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Acquired by &PARTNERS

Key Points

• &PARTNERS boosted its Walmart stake by 15.7% in the fourth quarter, buying 182,851 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 1,350,705 shares valued at about $150.4 million.
• Other large institutional investors also increased exposure to Walmart, including Vanguard, State Street, Geode Capital, and Norges Bank, while institutions and hedge funds now own 26.76% of the company.
• Walmart’s latest results showed continued strength: quarterly revenue rose 7.4% year over year to $177.75 billion, with EPS matching estimates at $0.66, and analysts remain broadly positive with a Moderate Buy rating and a consensus price target of $138.85.

&PARTNERS increased its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 15.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,350,705 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 182,851 shares during the period. Walmart comprises 0.8% of &PARTNERS's portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding. &PARTNERS's holdings in Walmart were worth $150,408,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised 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 period. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer's stock worth $19,046,104,000 after buying an additional 2,242,364 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 6.8% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer's stock worth $11,426,753,000 after buying an additional 6,517,394 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth $6,458,529,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer's stock worth $4,526,238,000 after buying an additional 328,229 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s advertising business is reportedly surging as marketplace activity, seller spending, and digital engagement boost retail media revenue, reinforcing a fast-growing higher-margin profit stream. Walmart's Advertising Revenues Soar: Is Retail Media Paying Off?
• Positive Sentiment: New delivery options, including Subway meals through Walmart delivery, suggest the company is continuing to expand convenience offerings and deepen customer engagement. Walmart Inc (WMT) Adds Subway Meals Delivery. Get the Bigger Picture
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart was highlighted among the best S&P 500 stocks to buy now according to analysts, signaling continued confidence in its defensive business model and growth profile. Walmart (WMT) – Among the 14 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy Now According to Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings season coverage showed Walmart outperforming many large-format grocery and general merchandise peers, reinforcing relative strength versus competitors. Q1 Earnings Outperformers: Walmart NASDAQ: WMT And The Rest of the Large-format Grocery & General Merchandise Retailer Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles debated whether Walmart’s recent rally is fully justified and whether the stock’s party is over, but these pieces were more commentary than a direct business catalyst. Walmart (WMT) Stock After Recent Retail Sentiment Shifts Is The Rally Justified
• Neutral Sentiment: One executive stock sale and a price-prediction style article could create some headline noise, but they do not appear to materially change the company’s operating outlook. Walmart NASDAQ: WMT EVP Sells $1,435,203.96 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: One article argued another e-commerce and fintech company may be a better buy than Walmart, which could slightly temper enthusiasm at the margin, though it does not alter Walmart’s fundamentals. Forget Walmart: This E-Commerce and Fintech Giant Is Growing 40% YoY and Is a Better Buy

Walmart Stock Up 0.2%

NASDAQ WMT opened at $121.03 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $963.17 billion, a PE ratio of 42.47, a P/E/G ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 0.59. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $93.62 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $125.09 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $121.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.61 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.08, for a total value of $1,628,550.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 661,037 shares in the company, valued at approximately $82,021,470.96. This represents a 1.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total value of $2,303,320.08. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,174,579 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $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. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 128,986 shares of company stock worth $15,927,908. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 price objective on Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price objective on Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, April 20th. KeyCorp restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 27th. They set a "buy" rating and a $150.00 price target on the stock. One 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 MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.85.

About Walmart

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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