Walmart Inc. $WMT Stock Holdings Trimmed by Assetmark Inc.

Assetmark Inc. lowered its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 4.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 341,838 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 14,644 shares during the quarter. Assetmark Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $42,484,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Walmart by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer's stock worth $49,015,626,000 after purchasing an additional 4,304,436 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in Walmart by 1.2% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $19,046,104,000 after purchasing an additional 2,242,364 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 6.8% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $6,458,529,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer's stock worth $4,526,238,000 after acquiring an additional 328,229 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wolfe Research restated an "outperform" rating and set a $137.00 price objective (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 5th. UBS Group set a $141.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating and issued a $150.00 price target (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $138.85.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: June U.S. retail sales held up, suggesting consumers are still spending as Walmart heads into the back-to-school season; that could support traffic and sales volumes if the company remains aggressive on pricing. Retail Sales Hold Up as Walmart and Amazon Go Back to School
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is also being discussed in multiple market and analyst roundups, with commentary focusing on its strong digital growth and role as a defensive stock, but these pieces do not appear to include a major new business update. Walmart Commands a 36.74X Forward P/E: Is the Stock Worth Buying?
• Neutral Sentiment: An article about AI and retail highlighted that Walmart is investing in automation while still emphasizing workers, which reinforces its long-term strategy but is unlikely to move the stock on its own. Walmart's people chief says these 10 jobs are still hot in the age of AI
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts argue Walmart’s premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointment, with one note saying momentum alone may not justify the stock’s high forward P/E. Walmart's Momentum Cannot Justify The Premium
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart has also been the subject of bearish commentary saying the recent sell-off may not be over, adding to investor caution around the shares. Walmart: The Sell-Off Isn't Over Yet (Rating Upgrade)

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $114.24 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $94.43 and a 1 year high of $135.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market cap of $909.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.08, a PEG ratio of 4.29 and a beta of 0.60. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $118.82 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $122.04.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at $14,300,550.91. This trade represents a 8.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total value of $413,891.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares in the company, valued at $69,074,186.76. This represents a 0.60% 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 three months, insiders have sold 87,145 shares of company stock worth $10,691,920. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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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