Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Sold by Payden & Rygel

Key Points

• Payden & Rygel trimmed its Walmart stake by 6.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 13,700 shares and ending with 193,100 shares valued at about $21.5 million.
• Walmart reported solid quarterly results, with EPS of $0.74 topping estimates and revenue of $190.66 billion exceeding expectations, while sales rose 5.6% year over year.
• Analysts remain bullish on the stock, with multiple firms raising price targets and the consensus rating staying at “Buy,” despite some recent insider selling.

Payden & Rygel lessened its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 6.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 193,100 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 13,700 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for 1.5% of Payden & Rygel's portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest position. Payden & Rygel's holdings in Walmart were worth $21,513,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Fox Run Management L.L.C. acquired a new position in Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth $1,709,000. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its position in shares of Walmart by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,010,886 shares of the retailer's stock worth $104,182,000 after acquiring an additional 28,026 shares in the last quarter. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners grew its position in shares of Walmart by 466.6% in the 3rd quarter. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners now owns 13,343 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,375,000 after acquiring an additional 10,988 shares in the last quarter. Tradewinds LLC. acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $11,077,000. Finally, Florida Trust Wealth Management Co grew its position in shares of Walmart by 7.0% in the 4th quarter. Florida Trust Wealth Management Co now owns 196,648 shares of the retailer's stock worth $21,909,000 after acquiring an additional 12,794 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Trading Up 1.4%

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $133.34 on Tuesday. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $93.43 and a 12-month high of $134.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.06 trillion, a P/E ratio of 48.66, a P/E/G ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $126.57 and a 200 day simple moving average of $119.46.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.66 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.2475 per share. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart's payout ratio is presently 36.13%.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total transaction of $1,214,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 108,294 shares of the company's stock, valued at $13,153,389.24. The trade was a 8.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total transaction of $1,600,725.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 687,287 shares of the company's stock, valued at $83,821,522.52. The trade was a 1.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 167,190 shares of company stock worth $20,975,838 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s push into AI and automation could support margins over time by improving fulfillment efficiency, boosting order values, and lowering operating costs. Walmart's AI and Automation Push: Long-Term Cost Advantage?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor focus is turning to Walmart’s upcoming earnings report, with analysts watching key operating metrics beyond revenue and EPS for signs that the business is still executing well. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Walmart (WMT) Q1 Earnings, Beyond Revenue and EPS
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart remains a favored defensive retail name as investors compare it with other consumer staples and grocery operators during a volatile market backdrop. Forget Walmart. The Grocer Beating It on Trust and Margin Trades at a Third of the Multiple
• Neutral Sentiment: Several hedge fund filings showed mixed positioning in Walmart, with some managers adding shares and others trimming, which does not clearly change the near-term outlook. Moore Capital Management Boosts Walmart Stake by 3,454 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares in a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 transaction, adding a small insider-sale headline that may slightly pressure sentiment. SEC Form 4 filing
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market attention on geopolitical risk, including the Strait of Hormuz closure, may keep investors cautious and can weigh on sentiment even for defensive stocks like Walmart. NVDA, WMT Report This Week, but News on the Strait Is Key

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on WMT. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 target price on Walmart in a research report on Friday, March 6th. BTIG Research lifted their target price on Walmart from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $147.00 target price (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $147.00 price target (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Wolfe Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 price target (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $138.88.

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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