Investment Management Corp of Ontario Acquires 150,985 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Investment Management Corp of Ontario increased its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 59.1% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 406,494 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 150,985 shares during the period. Walmart makes up 0.6% of Investment Management Corp of Ontario’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Investment Management Corp of Ontario’s holdings in Walmart were worth $45,287,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Renaissance Group LLC grew its holdings in Walmart by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 9,636 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,074,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the period. Calton & Associates Inc. grew its holdings in Walmart by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,033,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Walmart by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,392 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $378,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. Finally, Capstone Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Walmart by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,955 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $552,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.16, for a total transaction of $2,391,274.56. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,213,406 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $518,923,082.96. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total transaction of $359,368.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 577,853 shares in the company, valued at $71,607,543.76. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 sold 117,246 shares of company stock valued at $14,493,147. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is being highlighted by analysts as one of the best large-cap S&P 500 stocks to buy, reflecting continued confidence in its scale, defensive business model, and long-term earnings power. Walmart (WMT) – Among the 14 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy Now According to Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s advertising and retail media revenue is surging as marketplace growth and seller spending increase, supporting a higher-margin growth engine beyond traditional retail sales. Walmart’s Advertising Revenues Soar: Is Retail Media Paying Off?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its delivery offering by adding Subway meals delivery, reinforcing its convenience strategy and broadening customer traffic and online order opportunities. Walmart Inc (WMT) Adds Subway Meals Delivery. Get the Bigger Picture
• Neutral Sentiment: A recent article argues Walmart’s 9.2% pullback may be tied to fuel costs and consumer pressure, but says strong e-commerce, marketplace, and higher-margin growth keep the investment case intact. How to Play Walmart Stock After Its Recent 9.2% Pullback?
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,385 shares in a pre-arranged 10b5-1 transaction, a modest insider sale that can add to near-term investor caution even though it was not an open-market surprise. SEC Form 4 – Daniel J. Bartlett

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, June 8th. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, March 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, April 20th. One 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.85.

Walmart Trading Down 2.4%

WMT stock opened at $118.13 on Thursday. 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 company’s 50-day simple moving average is $124.92 and its 200 day simple moving average is $122.03. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $94.09 and a 52 week high of $135.15. The company has a market capitalization of $940.09 billion, a PE ratio of 41.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.52 and a beta of 0.59.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart’s revenue 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. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

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.