Walmart Inc. $WMT Position Trimmed by Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab

Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab trimmed its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 30.3% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 320,546 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 139,554 shares during the quarter. Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab’s holdings in Walmart were worth $39,837,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 188.1% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,199,907,000 after acquiring an additional 7,614,172 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 6.8% in the fourth 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. 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 shares of Walmart by 1.0% during the fourth 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 during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of WMT stock opened at $110.39 on Wednesday. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $95.29 and a 1 year high of $135.15. 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 business’s fifty day moving average is $118.11 and its 200-day moving average is $122.11. The stock has a market cap of $878.49 billion, a PE ratio of 38.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.18 and a beta of 0.60.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.61 earnings per share. The company’s revenue 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. Equities analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on WMT. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 price target (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, June 8th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 target price (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday. 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 a consensus target price of $138.85.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. This represents a 8.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total transaction of $342,751.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 574,953 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $67,953,695.07. This trade represents a 0.50% 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 87,145 shares of company stock valued at $10,691,920 in the last quarter. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is still attracting new brands to its platform, with candy maker Final Boss Sour raising funding and securing shelf space at the retailer. That supports Walmart’s marketplace growth strategy and could help improve traffic and monetization over time. Walmart (WMT) Faces A Fresh Valuation Test As New Brands Join Its Platform
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted a rebound in Walmart’s general merchandise business, including fashion, hardlines, private brands, and marketplace growth, which could lift margins if the trend continues. Can Walmart’s General Merchandise Revival Unlock Higher Margins?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart was mentioned in broader ecommerce-stock watch lists, which is not a direct catalyst but suggests continued investor attention on the retail and online commerce space. Top Ecommerce Stocks To Watch Now – July 18th
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market headlines about renewed U.S.-Iran tensions and potential energy-price pressure may be weighing on consumer sentiment and creating a modest headwind for Walmart’s near-term trading. As the U.S.-Iran war heats up again, these parts of the stock market and economy could be affected
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart pulled certain lettuce items amid cyclosporiasis-linked recalls, which can create short-term reputational and operational concerns for the grocer. Walmart pulls lettuce items amid cyclosporiasis-linked recalls
• Negative Sentiment: The stock also faces valuation pressure, with recent commentary noting that Walmart’s share performance has lagged and that investors are reassessing how much growth is already priced in. Walmart (WMT) Faces A Fresh Valuation Test As New Brands Join Its Platform

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.