Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Sold by Greenleaf Trust

Key Points

• Greenleaf Trust cut its Walmart position by 7.6% in the second quarter, selling 9,583 shares and retaining 116,166 shares worth approximately $13.2 million. Institutional investors collectively own 26.76% of Walmart.
• Walmart exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.81 EPS versus the $0.74 consensus and revenue of $187.94 billion, up 5.9% year over year. Marketplace sales and international digital operations continued to show momentum, though margin pressure led to some lower EPS estimates.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive, with Walmart carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $131.88, despite several analysts recently lowering their targets.

Greenleaf Trust reduced its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 7.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 116,166 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 9,583 shares during the quarter. Greenleaf Trust's holdings in Walmart were worth $13,157,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $7,455,131,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $6,458,529,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,905,655,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 188.1% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,199,907,000 after purchasing an additional 7,614,172 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new position in Walmart during the second quarter worth $796,677,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,710 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.10, for a total value of $419,601.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 626,299 shares in the company, valued at $70,834,416.90. The trade was a 0.59% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 77,292 shares of company stock worth $8,421,143. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Opioid lawsuit ends with limited financial impact: Walmart agreed to pay approximately $50 million to resolve a Justice Department lawsuit involving its pharmacies’ opioid-distribution practices. The settlement is described as immaterial relative to Walmart’s profits and substantially below the potentially multibillion-dollar penalties once threatened, reducing a major legal overhang. Walmart escapes major legal penalty for a fraction of the cost
• Positive Sentiment: Marketplace growth remains strong: Walmart’s U.S. marketplace sales reportedly increased 52%, helped by a broader product assortment, increased fulfillment adoption and expansion into Mexico and Canada. Continued marketplace momentum could improve customer engagement and support higher-margin advertising and third-party seller revenue. Walmart's Marketplace Momentum Builds
• Positive Sentiment: International digital operations are improving: Rising e-commerce penetration and reduced losses in Walmart International are improving the segment’s economics. However, ongoing investment and margin pressure could limit the near-term earnings benefit. Walmart International's Digital Mix Rises
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst remains bullish: Tigress Financial reaffirmed its “buy” rating and set a $155 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. SAIC, Walmart And 3 Stocks To Watch
• Neutral Sentiment: Value comparison offers limited direction: Articles comparing Walmart with J. Sainsbury PLC focus on relative valuation rather than a new company-specific catalyst. Walmart’s strong operating profile is balanced by a comparatively elevated earnings multiple, making valuation-sensitive investors more selective. JSAIY vs. WMT: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
• Negative Sentiment: EPS estimates were trimmed: Erste Group Bank lowered its fiscal 2027 earnings-per-share estimates for Walmart, reinforcing concerns that elevated investment, e-commerce costs or margin pressure could constrain profit growth. FY2027 EPS Estimates for Walmart Cut by Erste Group Bank

Walmart Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $105.92 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $840.34 billion, a PE ratio of 38.24, a P/E/G ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.59. The company's 50-day moving average price is $111.38 and its 200 day moving average price is $120.08. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $96.51 and a fifty-two week 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 0.41.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.68 EPS. Walmart's revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on WMT shares. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $130.00 target price (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $128.00 price target (down from $137.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Freedom Capital raised shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Freedom Broker raised shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised Walmart to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $131.88.

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.

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