Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Purchased by Assenagon Asset Management S.A.

Key Points

• Assenagon Asset Management boosted its Walmart stake by 63.9% in Q1, buying 511,950 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 1,312,905 shares worth about $163.2 million.
• Walmart reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $0.66 matching estimates and revenue of $177.75 billion topping expectations; sales rose 7.4% year over year. The company also reiterated FY 2027 guidance.
• Analysts remain mostly constructive on the stock, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average target price of $138.85, though some recent commentary noted competitive pressures from Amazon and mixed sentiment around Walmart’s $1 trillion valuation status.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 63.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,312,905 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 511,950 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $163,168,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 57.4% in the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 193.0% in the fourth quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sankala Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% 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, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total transaction of $359,368.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 577,853 shares in the company, valued at $71,607,543.76. This represents a 0.50% 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. Insiders have sold a total of 100,730 shares of company stock valued at $12,444,624 in the last ninety days. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts said Walmart’s reported deal for Vibe.co strengthens its advertising strategy and could support long-term revenue growth, helping investors see the company as more than just a low-margin retailer. Prediction: Walmart Will Rejoin the $1 Trillion Club by 2027. Here's Why It's a Great Buy Now.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding Shapermint into 1,600 more stores nationwide, adding another growth initiative outside core grocery sales and reinforcing its push into higher-margin apparel and lifestyle categories. Walmart (WMT) Expands Shapermint Into 1,600 More Stores Nationwide
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Walmart’s long-term scale and growth prospects suggests the stock remains attractive for investors who believe its advertising, marketplace, and omnichannel businesses can expand profits over time. Walmart vs. Target: Which Stock Offers Better Long-Term Value?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles compared Walmart with rivals like Target and Amazon, reflecting investor focus on competitive positioning rather than a clear new catalyst for earnings. Walmart Wants to Turn the Living Room Into a Storefront
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports that Amazon has surpassed Walmart as the largest U.S. retailer by GMV and commentary that Walmart has fallen out of the $1 trillion club may weigh on sentiment, but these were framed more as strategic context than immediate fundamental damage. Amazon Unseats Walmart as Top US Retailer

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $115.69 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $94.23 and a one year high of $135.15. The business's 50-day moving average price is $123.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $122.17. The company has a market capitalization of $920.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 0.59.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted 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. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last 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. Analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their target price on Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Wolfe Research reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 price target (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Erste Group Bank downgraded Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Craig Hallum set a $150.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $138.85.

Walmart Company 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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