Walmart Inc. $WMT Stake Raised by Tredje AP fonden

Key Points

• Tredje AP fonden increased its Walmart stake by 42.5% in the fourth quarter, ending with 1.31 million shares valued at about $145.9 million.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on Walmart, with a consensus Buy rating and an average price target of $138.88; several firms recently raised their targets, though HSBC downgraded the stock to Hold.
• Walmart’s latest results showed solid earnings and revenue growth, with EPS of $0.74 topping estimates and revenue rising 5.6% year over year to $190.66 billion; the stock was also trading near its 52-week high.

Tredje AP fonden boosted its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 42.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,309,785 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 390,460 shares during the quarter. Walmart comprises about 1.1% of Tredje AP fonden's investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Tredje AP fonden's holdings in Walmart were worth $145,923,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in Walmart by 188.1% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,199,907,000 after acquiring an additional 7,614,172 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Walmart by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer's stock worth $49,015,626,000 after acquiring an additional 4,304,436 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its position in Walmart by 20.5% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 23,497,921 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,413,236,000 after acquiring an additional 4,004,277 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in Walmart in the third quarter worth about $294,621,000. Finally, PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $280,736,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating and set a $145.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "overweight" rating and set a $140.00 price objective (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. HSBC downgraded Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $122.00 to $131.00 in a report on Friday, February 20th. BTIG Research boosted their price objective on Walmart from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price objective on Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.88.

More Walmart News

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

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares of the company's stock, valued at $62,203,571.56. The trade was a 3.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 10,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total value of $1,214,600.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 108,294 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,153,389.24. This trade represents a 8.45% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 167,190 shares of company stock worth $20,975,838. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Walmart Trading Up 1.4%

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $133.34 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $93.43 and a fifty-two week high of $134.69. The stock's 50-day moving average is $126.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $119.46. The stock has a market cap of $1.06 trillion, a PE ratio of 48.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.65.

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

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The firm 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart's payout ratio is 36.13%.

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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