Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Newly Acquired by Associated Banc Corp

Key Points

• Associated Banc Corp opened a new Walmart position in the third quarter, buying 103,566 shares valued at approximately $10.76 million.
• Walmart beat quarterly earnings expectations, reporting EPS of $0.81 versus $0.74 forecast and revenue of $187.94 billion, up 5.9% year over year.
• Analysts maintain a consensus Buy rating and an average price target of $132.41. Walmart executives also disclosed share sales under pre-arranged trading plans, including the CTO’s sale of 166,342 shares.

Associated Banc Corp purchased a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 103,566 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $10,763,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of WMT. Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the second quarter worth approximately $32,000. Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. bought a new position in Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth $34,000. Pingora Partners LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. PMV Capital Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in Walmart by 44.3% in the 1st quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 316 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,990 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.41, for a total transaction of $416,595.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 618,359 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $64,562,863.19. The trade was a 0.64% 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. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CTO Suresh Kumar sold 166,342 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.21, for a total transaction of $20,494,997.82. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 1,632,223 shares of the company's stock, valued at $201,106,195.83. This trade represents a 9.25% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 268,222 shares of company stock valued at $31,604,051. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Down 2.2%

Shares of WMT opened at $124.86 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $111.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $118.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $98.88 and a one year high of $135.15. The company has a market cap of $990.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.08, a P/E/G ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.53.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.68 EPS. The company's 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. Research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group cut their target price on Walmart from $141.00 to $130.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Gordon Haskett cut Walmart from a "buy" rating to an "accumulate" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $128.00 price target (down from $137.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $115.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $132.41.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart may be positioned to beat its next earnings estimates, according to Zacks, which points to its history of earnings surprises and factors supporting another potential beat. Why Walmart is Poised to Beat Earnings Estimates Again
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s expanded Sparky AI shopping assistant could support holiday sales by helping customers shop and potentially encouraging larger orders. Can Walmart’s Expanded Sparky AI Boost Holiday Shopping and Sales?
• Positive Sentiment: A report says Walmart’s e-commerce sales are growing faster than Amazon’s, suggesting its online business is gaining momentum. 1 Stat That Makes Walmart Hard to Ignore This November
• Neutral Sentiment: CTO Suresh Kumar sold 166,342 shares, and EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,346 shares. Both trades were made under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans; the sales may draw attention, but do not necessarily indicate a change in their views of the company. Kumar SEC filing Bartlett SEC filing
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish commentary highlights Walmart’s high valuation, with one article returning to a “strong sell” rating and another warning that the valuation may be stretched. Valuation concerns could weigh on sentiment even as the business outlook remains constructive. Walmart: Back To The Strong Sell Rating Walmart’s Defensive Reputation and Valuation

About Walmart

Walmart Inc NASDAQ: WMT operates a global retail business through a network of supercenters, supermarkets, discount stores, neighborhood markets, warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms. Its stores and websites sell a broad assortment of merchandise, including groceries, consumables, health and wellness products, apparel, electronics, home goods, toys and other general merchandise.

The company organizes its operations into Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam's Club U.S. Walmart U.S.

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