Walmart Inc. $WMT Stock Holdings Trimmed by AIA Group Ltd

Key Points

• AIA Group cut its Walmart stake by 29.7% in the third quarter, selling 37,709 shares and retaining 89,065 shares valued at about $9.26 million.
• Walmart’s latest quarterly results beat expectations: EPS was $0.81 versus a $0.74 consensus, while revenue rose 5.9% year over year to $187.94 billion.
• Analysts’ average rating is “Buy,” with a consensus price target of $132.41; some commentary nevertheless warns that Walmart’s valuation is elevated.

AIA Group Ltd reduced its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 29.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 89,065 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 37,709 shares during the quarter. AIA Group Ltd's holdings in Walmart were worth $9,256,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Montgomery Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Pingora Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the second quarter valued at $34,000. PMV Capital Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Walmart by 44.3% in the 1st quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 316 shares of the retailer's stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $124.86 on Wednesday. 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 Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $98.88 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $111.08 and a 200 day simple moving average of $118.46. The company has a market cap of $990.61 billion, a PE ratio of 45.08, a P/E/G ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.53.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. Walmart's revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.88 EPS for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart may be positioned to beat its next earnings estimates, according to Zacks, which points to its history of earnings surprises and factors supporting another potential beat. Why Walmart is Poised to Beat Earnings Estimates Again
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s expanded Sparky AI shopping assistant could support holiday sales by helping customers shop and potentially encouraging larger orders. Can Walmart’s Expanded Sparky AI Boost Holiday Shopping and Sales?
• Positive Sentiment: A report says Walmart’s e-commerce sales are growing faster than Amazon’s, suggesting its online business is gaining momentum. 1 Stat That Makes Walmart Hard to Ignore This November
• Neutral Sentiment: CTO Suresh Kumar sold 166,342 shares, and EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,346 shares. Both trades were made under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans; the sales may draw attention, but do not necessarily indicate a change in their views of the company. Kumar SEC filing Bartlett SEC filing
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish commentary highlights Walmart’s high valuation, with one article returning to a “strong sell” rating and another warning that the valuation may be stretched. Valuation concerns could weigh on sentiment even as the business outlook remains constructive. Walmart: Back To The Strong Sell Rating Walmart’s Defensive Reputation and Valuation

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on WMT shares. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 21st. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $130.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $126.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $115.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $132.41.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.00, for a total transaction of $575,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 110,432 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,699,680. The trade was a 4.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,346 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.51, for a total transaction of $416,610.46. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 615,013 shares of the company's stock, valued at $76,575,268.63. This represents a 0.54% 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. Insiders sold 268,222 shares of company stock valued at $31,604,051 over the last three months. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Walmart

Walmart Inc NASDAQ: WMT operates a global retail business through a network of supercenters, supermarkets, discount stores, neighborhood markets, warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms. Its stores and websites sell a broad assortment of merchandise, including groceries, consumables, health and wellness products, apparel, electronics, home goods, toys and other general merchandise.

The company organizes its operations into Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam's Club U.S. Walmart U.S.

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