Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. Boosts Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 33.3% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 259,004 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 64,681 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $32,839,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 57.4% in the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the period. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 193.0% in 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 in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total transaction of $413,891.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares in the company, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. This trade represents a 0.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed 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 David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 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 104,505 shares of company stock worth $12,858,514 in the last ninety days. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is cutting prices on thousands of items, which could attract more shoppers and support sales volume. Walmart Looks to Win Over Inflation-Weary Americans With Thousands of Price Cuts
• Positive Sentiment: The retailer’s lower prices on summer barbecue staples and other essentials are getting high-profile attention, including praise from the White House, which may boost consumer sentiment and brand loyalty. Walmart Lowers Prices on Thousands of Items, Including Beef and Coca-Cola
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are also weighing Walmart’s valuation and recent stock pullback after the shares cooled from their 52-week high, but the company’s underlying business remains solid. Jim Cramer’s unexpected 1-word reaction to Walmart stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary suggests the stock’s recent decline reflects broader concerns about rich multiples rather than a change in Walmart’s operations. Walmart (WMT) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here’s Why
• Negative Sentiment: One article argues that grocery price cuts may not be enough to satisfy investors or shoppers if broader margin pressure and competitive “grocery wars” intensify. It’s Grocery Wars. Walmart Cuts Food Prices, but Shoppers Are Fed Up.

Walmart Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $111.56 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 stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $121.36 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $122.05. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $94.23 and a 12-month high of $135.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $887.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.14, a PEG ratio of 4.12 and a beta of 0.60.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The firm 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 company’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $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. On average, research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on WMT shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, April 20th. UBS Group set a $141.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $140.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.85.

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.