MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH Trims Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH lowered its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 12.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 60,129 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 8,634 shares during the period. Walmart makes up approximately 0.8% of MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH’s holdings in Walmart were worth $7,473,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $49,015,626,000 after buying an additional 4,304,436 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Walmart by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $19,046,104,000 after acquiring an additional 2,242,364 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 6,517,394 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $6,458,529,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position in Walmart by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,526,238,000 after acquiring an additional 328,229 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Down 0.9%

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $113.70 on Wednesday. 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 1-year low of $94.43 and a 1-year high of $135.15. The company has a 50-day moving average of $119.80 and a 200 day moving average of $122.07. The firm has a market cap of $904.83 billion, a PE ratio of 39.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.60.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.61 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. 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 anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on WMT. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Freedom Capital raised shares of Walmart from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 18th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price 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. Finally, UBS Group set a $141.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.85.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 661,037 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $82,021,470.96. This trade represents a 1.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available 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 business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total transaction of $413,891.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $69,074,186.76. This trade represents a 0.60% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders sold 103,170 shares of company stock valued at $12,692,133. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart continues to benefit from strong momentum in higher-margin businesses such as advertising, membership, and e-commerce, which are growing faster than its core store operations and supporting the long-term growth story. Where Will Walmart Stock Be in 5 Years?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart just announced its 53rd dividend increase, reinforcing its appeal as a defensive, income-producing stock for investors looking for steady cash returns. Walmart just declared its 53rd dividend increase
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage also highlights Walmart+ membership growth and faster delivery as drivers of recurring revenue and deeper customer engagement, which could help sustain sales momentum. Can Walmart+ Membership Keep WMT’s Growth Momentum Alive?

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.