Audent Global Asset Management LLC Sells 717,223 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Audent Global Asset Management LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 98.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 8,758 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 717,223 shares during the period. Walmart makes up 1.1% of Audent Global Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest holding. Audent Global Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $1,091,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the first quarter worth $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 57.4% in the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 193.0% in the 4th quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: June U.S. retail sales held up, suggesting consumers are still spending as Walmart heads into the back-to-school season; that could support traffic and sales volumes if the company remains aggressive on pricing. Retail Sales Hold Up as Walmart and Amazon Go Back to School
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is also being discussed in multiple market and analyst roundups, with commentary focusing on its strong digital growth and role as a defensive stock, but these pieces do not appear to include a major new business update. Walmart Commands a 36.74X Forward P/E: Is the Stock Worth Buying?
• Neutral Sentiment: An article about AI and retail highlighted that Walmart is investing in automation while still emphasizing workers, which reinforces its long-term strategy but is unlikely to move the stock on its own. Walmart’s people chief says these 10 jobs are still hot in the age of AI
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts argue Walmart’s premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointment, with one note saying momentum alone may not justify the stock’s high forward P/E. Walmart’s Momentum Cannot Justify The Premium
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart has also been the subject of bearish commentary saying the recent sell-off may not be over, adding to investor caution around the shares. Walmart: The Sell-Off Isn’t Over Yet (Rating Upgrade)

Walmart Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of WMT stock opened at $114.24 on Friday. 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 fifty day simple moving average of $118.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $122.04. The stock has a market cap of $909.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.08, a P/E/G ratio of 4.29 and a beta of 0.60. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $94.43 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The business had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.61 earnings per share. The business’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. On average, analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.08, for a total transaction of $1,628,550.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 661,037 shares in the company, valued at approximately $82,021,470.96. The trade was a 1.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total transaction of $1,308,670.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. The trade was a 8.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 87,145 shares of company stock valued at $10,691,920. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on WMT. Truist Financial set a $140.00 target price on Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 18th. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $145.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.85.

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.