Busey Bank decreased its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 5.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 81,457 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 4,879 shares during the period. Busey Bank’s holdings in Walmart were worth $10,123,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of WMT. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 188.1% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,199,907,000 after purchasing an additional 7,614,172 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 6.8% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $592,848,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $49,015,626,000 after purchasing an additional 4,304,436 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.
Walmart Stock Up 1.4%
Walmart stock opened at $113.10 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $900.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.68, a P/E/G ratio of 4.16 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $94.23 and a twelve month high of $135.15. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $121.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $122.03.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of equities analysts recently commented on WMT shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, April 20th. KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Tigress Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $155.00 price objective (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Truist Financial set a $140.00 target price on Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. One equities research 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 MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.85.
Get Our Latest Analysis on Walmart
Walmart News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s aggressive price cuts are being viewed as a strategy to win inflation-weary shoppers and strengthen its grocery leadership, which analysts and commentators say could support sales volume and customer loyalty. Walmart stock gains after price cuts as analysts back grocery strategy
- Positive Sentiment: Several pieces framed Walmart as a blue-chip retail winner in volatile markets, with its scale, dividend, and resilient business model making it a preferred defensive name for investors. 3 Blue-Chip Retail Stocks to Trust as Volatility Favors Quality
- Positive Sentiment: Commentary from Jim Cramer and others characterized the recent pullback in WMT as a buying opportunity, suggesting investors may be looking past near-term volatility and focusing on Walmart’s durable earnings profile. Jim Cramer calls Walmart selloff an ‘incredible buying opportunity,’ says fears ‘have gone out the window’
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is also being compared favorably with Target and other retailers on revenue consistency and scale, reinforcing its quality profile but without a clear new catalyst. Walmart and Target: Comparing Revenue Consistency and Scale
- Neutral Sentiment: Trump’s public praise for Walmart’s price cuts has added visibility to the stock, but the move is still fundamentally about pricing strategy rather than a direct financial update. President Trump says Walmart will lower prices by ‘a lot’ — but the retail beast has already been slashing prices
- Negative Sentiment: Some articles warned that deeper discounting could pressure margins, and Walmart also faces ongoing legal headlines, including a $13 million driver-pay settlement and a new AI-related lawsuit. Walmart (WMT) Pays $13 Million To Settle Driver Pay Case As New AI Suit Lands
Insider Activity at Walmart
In other news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total value of $2,303,320.08. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,174,579 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $495,230,306.77. The trade was a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total transaction of $413,891.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares in the company, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. This represents a 0.60% 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. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 104,505 shares of company stock valued at $12,858,514. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
About Walmart
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.
Read More
- Five stocks we like better than Walmart
- A Market Panic Just Discounted the AI Highway’s Tollbooth
- Why Exxon Could Be the Market’s Next Big Comeback Stock
- The Market Just Got Shaken—These 3 ETFs May Come Out Stronger
- Meta Platforms’ Cloud Push: Growth Opportunity Versus AI Concerns
Receive News & Ratings for Walmart Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Walmart and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
