Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. Boosts Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada increased its Walmart stake by 33.3% in the first quarter, adding 64,681 shares to reach 259,004 shares valued at about $32.8 million.
• Walmart reported quarterly earnings of $0.66 per share, matching estimates, while revenue of $177.75 billion topped expectations and rose 7.4% year over year.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on the stock, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $138.85, even as some recent insider selling and a pullback from the 52-week high have drawn attention.

Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. boosted its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 33.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 259,004 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 64,681 shares during the quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $32,839,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Walmart during the first quarter worth about $29,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 57.4% in the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 193.0% in the fourth quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $111.56 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $887.80 billion, a PE ratio of 39.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.12 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $94.23 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $121.36 and a 200 day moving average of $122.05.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business 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. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total value of $413,891.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 630,009 shares in the company, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 104,505 shares of company stock worth $12,858,514 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is cutting prices on thousands of items, which could attract more shoppers and support sales volume. Walmart Looks to Win Over Inflation-Weary Americans With Thousands of Price Cuts
• Positive Sentiment: The retailer’s lower prices on summer barbecue staples and other essentials are getting high-profile attention, including praise from the White House, which may boost consumer sentiment and brand loyalty. Walmart Lowers Prices on Thousands of Items, Including Beef and Coca-Cola
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are also weighing Walmart’s valuation and recent stock pullback after the shares cooled from their 52-week high, but the company’s underlying business remains solid. Jim Cramer's unexpected 1-word reaction to Walmart stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary suggests the stock’s recent decline reflects broader concerns about rich multiples rather than a change in Walmart’s operations. Walmart (WMT) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here's Why
• Negative Sentiment: One article argues that grocery price cuts may not be enough to satisfy investors or shoppers if broader margin pressure and competitive “grocery wars” intensify. It's Grocery Wars. Walmart Cuts Food Prices, but Shoppers Are Fed Up.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price target (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their target price on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Wolfe Research restated an "outperform" rating and set a $137.00 target price (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Tigress Financial reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $155.00 price target (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently 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.

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