Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Sold by Cinctive Capital Management LP

Key Points

• Cinctive Capital Management reduced its Walmart stake by 36.2% in the fourth quarter, selling 29,629 shares and leaving it with 52,235 shares valued at about $5.82 million.
• Walmart’s fundamentals remain solid: the company recently reported $0.66 EPS, in line with estimates, on revenue of $177.75 billion, up 7.4% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment stays constructive, with multiple firms raising price targets and the consensus rating sitting at “Moderate Buy” with a target price of $138.85, even as some insiders also sold shares recently.

Cinctive Capital Management LP cut its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 36.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 52,235 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 29,629 shares during the period. Cinctive Capital Management LP's holdings in Walmart were worth $5,820,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Walmart by 1.0% during 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. State Street Corp lifted its position in Walmart by 1.2% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $19,046,104,000 after purchasing an additional 2,242,364 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Walmart by 6.8% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $6,458,529,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Walmart by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $4,526,238,000 after purchasing an additional 328,229 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Stock Down 2.4%

WMT opened at $118.13 on Thursday. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $94.09 and a twelve month high of $135.15. 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 company has a 50-day moving average price of $124.92 and a 200 day moving average price of $122.03. The company has a market cap of $940.09 billion, a PE ratio of 41.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.52 and a beta of 0.59.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, meeting 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 net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. Walmart's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm 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. Sell-side analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares of the company's stock, 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 SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total transaction of $2,303,320.08. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,174,579 shares of the company's stock, valued at $495,230,306.77. The trade was a 0.46% decrease in their position. 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. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 117,246 shares of company stock worth $14,493,147. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on WMT. Tigress Financial restated a "buy" rating and set a $155.00 target price (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Guggenheim boosted their target price on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Truist Financial set a $140.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $138.85.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is being highlighted by analysts as one of the best large-cap S&P 500 stocks to buy, reflecting continued confidence in its scale, defensive business model, and long-term earnings power. Walmart (WMT) – Among the 14 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy Now According to Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s advertising and retail media revenue is surging as marketplace growth and seller spending increase, supporting a higher-margin growth engine beyond traditional retail sales. Walmart's Advertising Revenues Soar: Is Retail Media Paying Off?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its delivery offering by adding Subway meals delivery, reinforcing its convenience strategy and broadening customer traffic and online order opportunities. Walmart Inc (WMT) Adds Subway Meals Delivery. Get the Bigger Picture
• Neutral Sentiment: A recent article argues Walmart’s 9.2% pullback may be tied to fuel costs and consumer pressure, but says strong e-commerce, marketplace, and higher-margin growth keep the investment case intact. How to Play Walmart Stock After Its Recent 9.2% Pullback?
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,385 shares in a pre-arranged 10b5-1 transaction, a modest insider sale that can add to near-term investor caution even though it was not an open-market surprise. SEC Form 4 - Daniel J. Bartlett

Walmart 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.