Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Purchased by Allen Investment Management LLC

Key Points

• Allen Investment Management increased its Walmart stake by 7.8% in the fourth quarter, buying 12,811 additional shares and bringing its holding to 176,275 shares worth about $19.6 million.
• Several other large institutional investors also added to or initiated positions in Walmart, and hedge funds and institutions now own 26.76% of the company.
• Analysts remain constructive on Walmart, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $138.85, while recent business updates highlighted strong delivery growth, including over 1 million drone deliveries and 30-minute delivery expansion to 33 U.S. markets.

Allen Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 7.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 176,275 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 12,811 shares during the quarter. Allen Investment Management LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $19,641,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth about $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 188.1% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,199,907,000 after acquiring an additional 7,614,172 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 6.8% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer's stock worth $11,426,753,000 after acquiring an additional 6,517,394 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Walmart by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $49,015,626,000 after purchasing an additional 4,304,436 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi grew its holdings in Walmart by 20.5% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 23,497,921 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,413,236,000 after purchasing an additional 4,004,277 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Truist Financial set a $140.00 price target on Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $138.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Oppenheimer reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $140.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $138.85.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart said its drones have now completed more than 1 million deliveries, highlighting momentum in its fast-growing delivery network and reinforcing its push to improve convenience and speed for shoppers. Walmart Marks Millionth Drone Drop-Off Amid Increased Delivery Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart expanded 30-minute delivery to 33 U.S. markets, strengthening its competitive position in grocery, pharmacy, and everyday essentials as e-commerce demand continues to rise. Walmart's 30-Minute Delivery Expansion Strengthens Its Retail Edge
• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial reportedly raised its price target on Walmart, citing AI investments gaining traction, which suggests some analysts still see upside from the company’s technology and automation efforts. Walmart (WMT) Gets Higher Price Target from Tigress Financial as AI Investments Gain Traction
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its private-brand selection with new hardware and home products, a move that could help it win value-conscious shoppers, but the near-term stock impact is likely modest. Walmart Expands Private Brand Selection as Shoppers Cut Back
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent insider stock sales by executives, including C. Douglas McMillon and Latriece Watkins, may draw attention, but these transactions are not necessarily a negative signal for the business itself. C Douglas Mcmillon Sells 19,416 Shares of Walmart NASDAQ: WMT Stock Latriece Watkins Sells 11,000 Shares of Walmart NASDAQ: WMT Stock
• Negative Sentiment: A report that Walmart capped employee AI usage could be seen as a short-term operational constraint, potentially limiting efficiency gains from an area investors view as a future growth driver. Update: Market Chatter: Walmart Limits Staff's Usage of AI Tool After High Demand

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total transaction of $1,308,670.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. This trade represents a 8.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm'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 transaction, the director owned 4,174,579 shares in the company, valued at approximately $495,230,306.77. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 117,008 shares of company stock valued at $14,492,704. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $114.60 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm has a market cap of $913.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.21, a P/E/G ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 0.60. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $93.43 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $125.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $120.81.

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

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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