Walmart Inc. $WMT Stock Position Lowered by ING Groep NV

Key Points

• ING Groep NV cut its Walmart stake by 58.8% in the fourth quarter, selling 434,674 shares and leaving it with 304,127 shares worth about $33.9 million.
• Other institutional investors were more bullish: Capital World Investors and several Capital International entities added or initiated sizable positions, and hedge funds and other institutions now own 26.76% of Walmart’s stock.
• Walmart reported solid recent results, with quarterly EPS matching estimates at $0.66 and revenue rising 7.4% year over year to $177.75 billion, while analysts largely remain positive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a $138.85 price target.

ING Groep NV lessened its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 58.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 304,127 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 434,674 shares during the quarter. ING Groep NV's holdings in Walmart were worth $33,883,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Capital World Investors lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 149.5% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 4,219,435 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $470,087,000 after acquiring an additional 2,527,942 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Sarl purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $8,588,000. Capital International Ltd. CA purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $6,376,000. Capital International Inc. CA lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 283.9% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Inc. CA now owns 114,597 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $12,767,000 after acquiring an additional 84,747 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $592,848,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart saw unusually heavy call-option buying, with traders purchasing 174,648 calls, about 43% above average volume. That suggests some investors are betting on a rebound or near-term upside.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart expanded its delivery business by adding Subway meals to its Express Delivery offering, allowing customers to order freshly made food through the Walmart app or website and receive it in as little as 30 minutes. The move could help Walmart boost order frequency, strengthen its convenience proposition, and take a larger share of meal budgets. Walmart Adds Express Delivery From In-Store Restaurants, Starting With Subway®
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholders backed Walmart’s 2026 annual meeting results, and management highlighted strong FY26 performance and its omnichannel model, reinforcing confidence in the company’s growth strategy. Walmart Announces 2026 Annual Shareholders' Meeting Voting Results

Walmart Stock Up 1.0%

Walmart stock opened at $118.88 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $946.06 billion, a PE ratio of 41.71, a P/E/G ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.59. 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's 50 day moving average price is $125.62 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $121.07. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $93.43 and a twelve month high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous 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. On average, research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total value of $2,303,320.08. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,174,579 shares of the company's stock, valued at $495,230,306.77. The trade was a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total transaction of $1,308,670.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,300,550.91. This represents a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 117,008 shares of company stock valued at $14,492,704. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on WMT shares. Evercore restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Oppenheimer restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $140.00 price target (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, February 9th. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating and issued a $150.00 price target (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Argus upgraded shares of Walmart to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.85.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.