Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Sold by South Dakota Investment Council

Key Points

• South Dakota Investment Council reduced its Walmart stake by 26.4% in the first quarter, selling 10,944 shares and retaining 30,521 shares valued at approximately $3.8 million.
• Other institutional investors increased their positions, while institutions collectively own 26.76% of Walmart’s stock, indicating mixed but generally active institutional interest.
• Walmart shares opened at $111.10, down 2.7%, despite a “Moderate Buy” analyst consensus and quarterly revenue growth of 7.4% year over year.

South Dakota Investment Council trimmed its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 26.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 30,521 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 10,944 shares during the period. South Dakota Investment Council's holdings in Walmart were worth $3,793,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Advisortrust Partners LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 20.2% during the 1st quarter. Advisortrust Partners LLC now owns 67,142 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,344,000 after purchasing an additional 11,283 shares during the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 253.3% in the first quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 384,034 shares of the retailer's stock worth $47,728,000 after purchasing an additional 275,337 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 2.9% during the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 2,416,580 shares of the retailer's stock worth $300,333,000 after purchasing an additional 68,632 shares during the period. Vise Technologies Inc. boosted its position in Walmart by 42.1% in the fourth quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 275,341 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $30,676,000 after buying an additional 81,635 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HORAN Wealth LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 55.7% in the first quarter. HORAN Wealth LLC now owns 81,544 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $9,931,000 after buying an additional 29,184 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Expanded wellness assortment could support growth. Walmart added or expanded placements for products from Magic Science, Kate Farms, Edible Garden AG and Final Boss Sour across stores and Walmart.com ahead of back-to-school shopping. The move reinforces Walmart’s position in health, wellness and everyday essentials, although the near-term financial impact is not yet quantified. How Walmart’s Back-to-School Wellness Push With New Brands Will Impact Walmart Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Potential shareholder-return support from buybacks. Coverage of Walmart’s large repurchase authorization highlights the possibility of reducing shares outstanding, increasing per-share earnings and supporting long-term shareholder returns. The benefit depends on the pace and price of repurchases, particularly given Walmart’s elevated valuation. Walmart’s Stock Buybacks: How Its Massive New Repurchase Program Could Affect Shareholder Returns
• Positive Sentiment: FTC clearance removes a hurdle for the Vibe transaction. The Federal Trade Commission’s decision allowing Walmart’s deal for Vibe to proceed reduces near-term regulatory uncertainty and could provide an additional growth opportunity, though the article provides limited details on the transaction’s expected financial contribution. Walmart’s Deal for Vibe Is Cleared by the FTC to Progress
• Neutral Sentiment: Peer comparisons underscore valuation concerns. Articles comparing Walmart with J. Sainsbury and Costco point to Walmart’s resilient retail model, digital growth and customer loyalty, but also emphasize differences in valuation and earnings drivers. With Walmart trading at a relatively high earnings multiple, investors may require continued strong execution to justify the premium. Walmart vs. Costco: Which Retail Stock Has the Stronger Edge?
• Negative Sentiment: AI shopping-bot findings raised regulatory risk. A study led by former FTC Chair Lina Khan said Amazon and Walmart’s AI assistants can identify potentially false “Made in USA” claims but do not consistently flag them to shoppers. The findings could increase scrutiny over marketplace oversight, consumer protection and the accuracy of Walmart’s AI tools, weighing on sentiment. Amazon, Walmart AI Detect ‘Made in USA’ Fraud but Do Not Flag It, Study Says

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 18th. BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Erste Group Bank downgraded Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 5th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded Walmart from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $138.65.

Walmart Stock Down 2.7%

WMT stock opened at $111.10 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $884.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.98, a P/E/G ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.60. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $115.35 and a 200-day simple moving average of $122.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $95.42 and a 52 week high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.66. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.61 EPS. The company'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. Equities analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,174,579 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $495,230,306.77. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 67,729 shares of company stock valued at $8,124,931. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Walmart

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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