Walmart Inc. $WMT Position Reduced by Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC

Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 23.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 17,685 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 5,315 shares during the quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $2,198,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 188.1% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,199,907,000 after buying an additional 7,614,172 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 6.8% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $11,426,753,000 after buying an additional 6,517,394 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors acquired a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $592,848,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Walmart by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $49,015,626,000 after acquiring an additional 4,304,436 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane decreased their price objective on Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $138.85.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The transaction 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 company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total transaction of $1,308,670.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at $14,300,550.91. The trade was a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 87,145 shares of company stock valued at $10,691,920 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Trading Down 0.6%

WMT opened at $114.24 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $94.43 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $909.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.08, a PEG ratio of 4.29 and a beta of 0.60. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $118.82 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $122.04.

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

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 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.