Align Financial LLC Acquires Shares of 223,815 Walmart Inc. $WMT

Align Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm acquired 223,815 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $24,935,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of WMT. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings 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 valued at $1,199,907,000 after purchasing an additional 7,614,172 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings 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 valued at $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $592,848,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.0% during 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 in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. This represents a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.84, for a total transaction of $1,638,525.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 674,162 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $84,162,384.08. This represents a 1.91% 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. Insiders sold a total of 117,246 shares of company stock valued at $14,493,147 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their target price on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. BNP Paribas Exane cut their target price on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 target price (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, April 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $138.85.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is being highlighted by analysts as one of the best large-cap S&P 500 stocks to buy, reflecting continued confidence in its scale, defensive business model, and long-term earnings power. Walmart (WMT) – Among the 14 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy Now According to Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s advertising and retail media revenue is surging as marketplace growth and seller spending increase, supporting a higher-margin growth engine beyond traditional retail sales. Walmart’s Advertising Revenues Soar: Is Retail Media Paying Off?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its delivery offering by adding Subway meals delivery, reinforcing its convenience strategy and broadening customer traffic and online order opportunities. Walmart Inc (WMT) Adds Subway Meals Delivery. Get the Bigger Picture
• Neutral Sentiment: A recent article argues Walmart’s 9.2% pullback may be tied to fuel costs and consumer pressure, but says strong e-commerce, marketplace, and higher-margin growth keep the investment case intact. How to Play Walmart Stock After Its Recent 9.2% Pullback?
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,385 shares in a pre-arranged 10b5-1 transaction, a modest insider sale that can add to near-term investor caution even though it was not an open-market surprise. SEC Form 4 – Daniel J. Bartlett

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $118.13 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The company has a fifty day moving average of $124.92 and a two-hundred day moving average of $122.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $940.09 billion, a PE ratio of 41.45, a P/E/G ratio of 4.52 and a beta of 0.59. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $94.09 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 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates 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 net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business 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 forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart 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.