Geode Capital Management LLC Grows Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 6.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares during the period. Walmart comprises approximately 0.7% of Geode Capital Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Geode Capital Management LLC owned approximately 1.29% of Walmart worth $11,426,753,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in Walmart by 3.5% in 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. Capstone Wealth Management LLC increased its stake 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 buying an additional 89 shares during the period. Ellenbecker Investment Group increased its stake 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 buying an additional 90 shares during the period. Matrix Trust Co increased its stake 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 buying an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 4.1% during the fourth quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,362 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $263,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target on Walmart to $150 from $145 and kept a Buy rating, citing strong grocery traffic that could support sales momentum. TD Cowen Boosts Target on Walmart (WMT) Amid Strong Grocery Traffic
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s e-commerce business grew 26%, while ads and membership revenue continue to scale, supporting the company’s longer-term profit mix. Target vs. Walmart: Which Retail Stock Is the Better Buy After Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is being added to the Russell 3000 elite/top 10 during the June reconstitution, which is notable for index investors but not a direct fundamental catalyst. Walmart Joins Russell 3000 Elite As Investors Weigh Q1 Shakeup
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart launched a logistics program to streamline distribution and simplify supplier shipments, a cost-efficiency move that could help over time. Walmart Debuts Program to Streamline Distribution Network
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary continues to focus on Walmart’s post-earnings slide, with investors worried that fuel and other costs are squeezing margins and overshadowing growth. Walmart Sinks 8.1% Post Q1 Earnings: Exit WMT Stock or Stay Put?
• Negative Sentiment: RBC Capital trimmed its price target to $137 from $140 after Walmart’s in-line quarter and softer-than-expected guidance, reinforcing concerns about near-term earnings momentum. Walmart (WMT) – Among the Top 12 Picks for a Dividend Stock Portfolio For Retirement

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the topic of several research reports. BNP Paribas Exane cut their price target on Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Argus upgraded Walmart to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 price target on Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price target on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, 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. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $138.71.

Walmart Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $118.54 on Thursday. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $93.43 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The stock has a market cap of $944.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.59, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $126.36 and a 200-day moving average price of $120.53.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.21, for a total value of $2,566,989.36. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,193,995 shares in the company, valued at $554,488,078.95. The trade was a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total value of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 106,592 shares of company stock valued at $13,436,513. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.