SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda Buys New Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda bought a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 13,205 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,496,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.2% in the 3rd 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 raised 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 worth $11,426,753,000 after buying an additional 6,517,394 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in Walmart during the second quarter worth $7,455,131,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $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 valued at $4,526,238,000 after buying an additional 328,229 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $104.87 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $111.65 and its 200-day moving average price is $120.24. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $95.79 and a 1-year high of $135.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $834.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.86, a P/E/G ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The business’s revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.68 EPS. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart agreed to pay $50 million to settle U.S. Justice Department allegations involving improperly filled opioid prescriptions. Although the settlement carries a financial cost and reputational risk, it is viewed favorably because it resolves litigation that had exposed the company to potentially billions of dollars in civil penalties. Walmart described the payment as immaterial. Walmart escapes major legal penalty for a fraction of the cost
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s U.S. marketplace sales increased 52%, supported by a broader product selection, greater use of fulfillment services and international expansion in Mexico and Canada. Sustaining this momentum could improve e-commerce growth and marketplace profitability. Walmart’s Marketplace Momentum Builds
• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial reaffirmed its buy rating and set a $155 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. This reflects confidence in Walmart’s long-term earnings and growth prospects. Benzinga analyst rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary highlights Walmart’s 53-year record of dividend increases and notes that the stock is well below its peak. However, its dividend yield remains relatively low and its valuation is still elevated compared with the broader market. Walmart dividend analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group Bank lowered its fiscal 2027 EPS estimates, signaling expectations for slower earnings growth or increased cost pressure. Walmart’s recent earnings-related share-price weakness also indicates that investors remain sensitive to the company’s premium valuation. FY2027 EPS Estimates for Walmart Cut

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 630,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. This trade represents a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total value of $308,386.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $60,523,730.02. This represents a 0.51% 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. Insiders have sold a total of 77,292 shares of company stock worth $8,421,143 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on WMT shares. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on Walmart from $137.00 to $131.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 21st. Evercore set a $125.00 price objective on Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Roth Capital restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $131.88.

Walmart Company 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.