Walmart Inc. $WMT Stock Acquired by Vista Investment Partners LLC

Key Points

• Vista Investment Partners increased its Walmart stake by 82.2% in the third quarter, ending with 36,675 shares valued at approximately $3.81 million. Institutional investors collectively own 26.76% of Walmart.
• Walmart insiders sold shares under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, including CEO John Furner’s $1.40 million sale and EVP Christopher Nicholas’s $309,285 sale. Insiders sold 81,219 shares worth about $8.60 million over the past 90 days.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $131.74. Walmart shares recently rose 2.6% to $111, while the company exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations.

Vista Investment Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 82.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 36,675 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 16,546 shares during the quarter. Vista Investment Partners LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $3,811,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of WMT. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the 1st quarter worth $29,000. Montgomery Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth about $32,000. Sankala Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Copos Capital S.a r.l. purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.65, for a total value of $309,285.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 566,253 shares in the company, valued at $60,390,882.45. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO John Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.66, for a total value of $1,399,912.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 647,912 shares of the company's stock, valued at $69,106,293.92. The trade was a 1.99% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 81,219 shares of company stock valued at $8,604,429. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. BNP Paribas Exane reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 price objective (down from $146.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Oppenheimer reaffirmed a "market perform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $126.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Wolfe Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $131.74.

Walmart Stock Up 2.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT traded up $2.84 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $111.00. The company's stock had a trading volume of 9,158,613 shares, compared to its average volume of 25,180,846. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $108.43 and a 200-day moving average of $116.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $880.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.07, a PEG ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.58. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $98.88 and a 12-month high of $135.15.

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

About Walmart

Walmart Inc NASDAQ: WMT is a multinational retailer that operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood markets, warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms. Its merchandise includes groceries, apparel, electronics, home goods, health and wellness products, household essentials and general merchandise. Walmart also provides services such as grocery pickup and delivery, pharmacy services, financial products and digital advertising.

The company serves customers through its Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam's Club segments.

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