Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Raises Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund raised its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 588.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,722,474 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,036,614 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for approximately 0.9% of Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s holdings in Walmart were worth $586,909,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Walmart during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 57.4% in the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the period. Clayton Financial Group LLC raised its position 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 purchasing an additional 193 shares during the period. Finally, Sankala Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT stock opened at $109.47 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $871.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.41, a PEG ratio of 4.04 and a beta of 0.60. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $95.42 and a one year high of $135.15. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $116.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $121.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77.

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. The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.Walmart’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous 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. Equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reportedly reaffirmed an Outperform rating on Walmart, a supportive signal that may help bolster investor confidence. Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Earns Outperform Rating from Royal Bank Of Canada
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart was highlighted as a wide-moat, sustainable growth stock, reinforcing the view that it can keep delivering steady results even in choppy markets. Top Wide-Moat Stocks to Invest in for Sustainable Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart partnered with ReturnPro to refurbish and resell returned products, which could improve e-commerce efficiency and reduce losses from returns. Walmart (WMT) Partners With ReturnPro To Resell Returned Products
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage suggesting Walmart may be a solid growth stock could keep investors focused on its durable financial performance and scale advantages. Is Walmart (WMT) a Solid Growth Stock? 3 Reasons to Think “Yes”
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are closely watching Walmart ahead of earnings, with previews focusing on what the company may report rather than providing a fresh catalyst by themselves. Walmart’s quarterly earnings preview: What you need to know
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart being one of Zacks’ most-searched stocks indicates strong investor interest, but not necessarily a direct fundamental driver. Investors Heavily Search Walmart Inc. (WMT): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles discussing Walmart’s dividend profile may appeal to income investors, but they are unlikely to move the stock on their own. Does Walmart pay dividends? Its yield & payouts explained
• Negative Sentiment: One article noted Walmart’s extended share-price weakness and suggested the stock could be in a comeback setup, reflecting lingering concern after a recent downtrend. Walmart stock’s extended downturn could trigger a possible comeback
• Negative Sentiment: A bearish comparison piece argued investors might prefer another stock over WMT, citing weaker recent share performance and softer quarterly results. 3 Reasons to Sell WMT and 1 Stock to Buy Instead

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the business’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 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 67,729 shares of company stock valued at $8,124,931 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Tigress Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $155.00 target price (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, July 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.85.

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.