Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Sold by Bank of New York Mellon Corp

Key Points

• Bank of New York Mellon reduced its Walmart stake by 9.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 2.85 million shares and leaving it with about 26.46 million shares worth roughly $2.95 billion.
• Walmart’s recent operating updates were broadly positive: its drones have surpassed 1 million deliveries and it expanded 30-minute delivery to 33 U.S. markets, underscoring progress in fast fulfillment and e-commerce.
• Wall Street remains generally constructive on the stock, with analysts maintaining a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $138.85, even as the shares traded down 1.3% to $113.06 in the article.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp trimmed its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 9.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 26,460,687 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 2,850,696 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up 0.5% of Bank of New York Mellon Corp's holdings, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Bank of New York Mellon Corp owned about 0.33% of Walmart worth $2,947,985,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of WMT. Palatine Hill Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $328,000. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 17.9% in the fourth quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 3,038 shares of the retailer's stock worth $338,000 after acquiring an additional 462 shares in the last quarter. Rice Partnership LLC grew its position in Walmart by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Rice Partnership LLC now owns 18,102 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,017,000 after purchasing an additional 361 shares in the last quarter. Kesler Norman & Wride LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 214.8% during the fourth quarter. Kesler Norman & Wride LLC now owns 77,336 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,616,000 after buying an additional 52,768 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Calton & Associates Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,033,000 after buying an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart-backed OnePay is looking beyond the retailer’s ecosystem to grow its financial app, which could expand the company’s digital and fintech reach if it attracts more outside users. Walmart-Backed OnePay Looks Beyond Retailer's Ecosystem to Fuel Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart said its drones have completed more than 1 million deliveries, highlighting continued progress in faster last-mile fulfillment and its push to improve convenience for customers. Walmart Marks Millionth Drone Drop-Off Amid Increased Delivery Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart expanded 30-minute delivery to 33 U.S. markets, reinforcing its e-commerce and grocery delivery advantage versus rivals. Walmart's 30-Minute Delivery Expansion Strengthens Its Retail Edge
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart announced an expanded community initiative in Florida to support first responders and children in crisis, which is positive for brand image but likely limited in direct stock impact. Walmart Helps First Responders Comfort Children in Crisis Across Florida
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage comparing Target and Walmart suggests Walmart remains strong on scale, ads, and higher-income customer gains, but the piece is more of an industry comparison than a new company-specific catalyst. Target vs Walmart: Both Fighting For The Same Customer, Only One Wins
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary focused on whether Walmart’s share-price pullback means much of the upside is already priced in, reflecting investor caution after the stock’s recent decline. Is It Time To Reassess Walmart (WMT) After The Recent Share Price Pullback
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Walmart limited employee use of an AI tool may raise concerns about internal policy or operational friction, though the direct financial impact appears modest. Update: Market Chatter: Walmart Limits Staff's Usage of AI Tool After High Demand

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on WMT shares. BMO Capital Markets reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $137.00 target price (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 15th. HSBC downgraded Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and upped their target price for the company from $122.00 to $131.00 in a report on Friday, February 20th. Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $140.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $138.85.

Walmart Trading Down 1.3%

Walmart stock opened at $113.06 on Wednesday. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $93.43 and a one year high of $135.15. The company's fifty day moving average price is $125.98 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $120.81. The company has a market capitalization of $899.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.67, a PEG ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.59. 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 (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The business had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.61 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter 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, analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total value of $2,303,320.08. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,174,579 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $495,230,306.77. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total value of $359,368.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 577,853 shares in the company, valued at $71,607,543.76. The trade was a 0.50% 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. Insiders sold 117,008 shares of company stock valued at $14,492,704 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

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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