Global Assets Advisory LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Global Assets Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 33.1% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 24,074 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,992 shares during the period. Global Assets Advisory LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $2,682,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of WMT. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 188.1% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,199,907,000 after acquiring an additional 7,614,172 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Walmart by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $49,015,626,000 after acquiring an additional 4,304,436 shares during the last quarter. Amundi increased its position in shares of Walmart by 20.5% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 23,497,921 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,413,236,000 after acquiring an additional 4,004,277 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the third quarter valued at approximately $294,621,000. Finally, Axxcess Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 1,061.8% during the fourth quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,042,724 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $338,989,000 after acquiring an additional 2,780,817 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total value of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $62,203,571.56. This trade represents a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total value of $359,368.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 577,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $71,607,543.76. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 126,008 shares of company stock valued at $15,896,715. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Walmart News Summary

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

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $120.27 on Tuesday. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $93.43 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The business has a 50-day moving average of $126.67 and a 200 day moving average of $120.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market cap of $958.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.61 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. 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 forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on WMT shares. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 target price on Walmart in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price target on Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price objective (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $137.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Finally, Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.71.

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.