Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Purchased by Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd

Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd boosted its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 251.5% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 102,096 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 73,054 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for approximately 5.0% of Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd’s holdings in Walmart were worth $11,375,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 57.4% during the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the period. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 193.0% during the fourth quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s advertising business is reportedly surging as marketplace activity, seller spending, and digital engagement boost retail media revenue, reinforcing a fast-growing higher-margin profit stream. Walmart’s Advertising Revenues Soar: Is Retail Media Paying Off?
• Positive Sentiment: New delivery options, including Subway meals through Walmart delivery, suggest the company is continuing to expand convenience offerings and deepen customer engagement. Walmart Inc (WMT) Adds Subway Meals Delivery. Get the Bigger Picture
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart was highlighted among the best S&P 500 stocks to buy now according to analysts, signaling continued confidence in its defensive business model and growth profile. Walmart (WMT) – Among the 14 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy Now According to Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings season coverage showed Walmart outperforming many large-format grocery and general merchandise peers, reinforcing relative strength versus competitors. Q1 Earnings Outperformers: Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) And The Rest of the Large-format Grocery & General Merchandise Retailer Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles debated whether Walmart’s recent rally is fully justified and whether the stock’s party is over, but these pieces were more commentary than a direct business catalyst. Walmart (WMT) Stock After Recent Retail Sentiment Shifts Is The Rally Justified
• Neutral Sentiment: One executive stock sale and a price-prediction style article could create some headline noise, but they do not appear to materially change the company’s operating outlook. Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP Sells $1,435,203.96 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: One article argued another e-commerce and fintech company may be a better buy than Walmart, which could slightly temper enthusiasm at the margin, though it does not alter Walmart’s fundamentals. Forget Walmart: This E-Commerce and Fintech Giant Is Growing 40% YoY and Is a Better Buy

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $121.03 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $125.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $121.96. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $93.62 and a 52 week high of $135.15. The stock has a market cap of $963.17 billion, a PE ratio of 42.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 0.59.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on WMT shares. DA Davidson set a $150.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Freedom Capital raised shares of Walmart from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price target on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 price target (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $140.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.85.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total value of $359,368.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 577,853 shares in the company, valued at approximately $71,607,543.76. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. The trade was a 8.38% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 128,986 shares of company stock valued at $15,927,908 in the last quarter. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company 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.