William Blair Investment Management LLC Has $21.97 Million Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• William Blair Investment Management cut its Walmart stake by 38.2% in the fourth quarter, leaving it with 197,209 shares valued at about $21.97 million.
• Wall Street remains generally upbeat on Walmart, with an average “Moderate Buy” rating and a consensus price target of $138.71, even though some firms trimmed targets or downgraded the stock.
• Walmart recently reported Q1 earnings that matched EPS expectations and beat revenue estimates, but the stock faced pressure from cautious guidance and concerns about inflation and fuel costs.

William Blair Investment Management LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 38.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 197,209 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 121,721 shares during the period. William Blair Investment Management LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $21,971,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in Walmart by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,561 shares of the retailer's stock worth $285,000 after buying an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,955 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $552,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. Ellenbecker Investment Group lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group now owns 14,475 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,613,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the period. Matrix Trust Co lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 20.0% during the fourth quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 547 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, HRC Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 4.4% during the fourth quarter. HRC Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,209 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $246,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. HSBC cut Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $122.00 to $131.00 in a report on Friday, February 20th. BNP Paribas Exane cut their price objective on Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price objective (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Bank of America assumed coverage on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 27th. They set a "buy" rating and a $150.00 price objective for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $138.71.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,335 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.63, for a total value of $166,381.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 636,843 shares of the company's stock, valued at $79,369,743.09. The trade was a 0.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total value of $1,600,725.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 687,287 shares of the company's stock, valued at $83,821,522.52. This represents a 1.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 126,008 shares of company stock valued at $15,896,715 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

Walmart stock opened at $120.27 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $126.67 and a 200 day simple moving average of $120.29. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $93.43 and a 12-month high of $135.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $958.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.20, a P/E/G ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.61 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart posted strong first-quarter revenue of $177.8 billion, up 7.3% year over year, with global e-commerce sales jumping 26% and advertising growing 37%, reinforcing the company’s growth beyond traditional retail. Walmart Stock Fell After Its Earnings Beat. Is the Post-Earnings Dip a Buying Opportunity?
• Positive Sentiment: UBS said its long-term view on Walmart’s higher-margin “second P&L” remains intact, highlighting advertising, marketplace fees, and membership income as key growth drivers. Walmart price target lowered by UBS as Q1 results miss elevated expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Higher gasoline prices could support Walmart’s value-focused traffic, as consumers tend to trade down to low-price retailers when inflation and fuel costs rise. Walmart CEO issues blunt message on rising fuel prices
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS lowered its price target to $141 from $147 after the quarter, but still kept a constructive longer-term stance, suggesting the report was good but not enough to justify prior elevated expectations. Walmart price target lowered by UBS as Q1 results miss elevated expectations
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary largely focused on whether Walmart’s strong e-commerce and membership growth can keep offsetting a more cautious consumer backdrop. Walmart's Q1 Sales Jump 7.3%: Can E-commerce Sustain 26% Growth?
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s cautious second-quarter guidance and pressure from rising fuel costs were cited as a reason the stock sold off after earnings, despite the upbeat revenue results. Walmart Stock Fell After Its Earnings Beat. Is the Post-Earnings Dip a Buying Opportunity?
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley also turned more cautious on Walmart amid high inflation, reinforcing concerns that margins and near-term upside may be limited after the recent run-up. Morgan Stanley resets Walmart forecast on high inflation
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of senior executive departures after John Furner’s arrival added a small layer of leadership uncertainty, though this appears less important than the earnings and outlook issues. Walmart Sees Executives Depart Following New CEO's Arrival

About Walmart

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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