Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Reduces Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA cut its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 87.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 5,415 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 36,255 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA’s holdings in Walmart were worth $613,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Walmart by 57.4% during the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s e-commerce business continues to be viewed as a significant growth engine, with its digital capabilities increasingly resembling a broader commerce platform rather than a traditional big-box retailer. Walmart’s E-Commerce Engine Roars
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies said potential tariff refunds could support Walmart’s price-leadership strategy. Reinvesting the money in lower prices could widen its price gap with competitors and help drive market-share gains, particularly in consumables. Walmart set for in-line Q2
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “Outperform” rating, providing some support for the long-term investment case despite near-term sales concerns. RBC Reaffirms Outperform Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is expected to deliver largely in-line second-quarter results. The key catalysts are management’s second-half outlook, tariff-refund treatment and the potential effect on pricing and margins. Walmart Q2 earnings preview
• Neutral Sentiment: The company will release results before the market opens on August 20 and host a conference call with CEO John Furner and CFO John David Rainey. Walmart to Host Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call
• Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank expects Walmart to miss second-quarter comparable-sales estimates, while high gasoline prices are pressuring household budgets and raising the retailer’s operating costs. Walmart Seen Missing Comparable Sales Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts have cited elevated fuel costs, rising expenses and valuation concerns as reasons for Walmart’s recent weakness, despite solid revenue growth and e-commerce momentum. Walmart Stock Slides About 12% in 3 Months
• Negative Sentiment: Amazon’s AI-powered Alexa shopping tools could intensify competition for grocery-list creation and digital shopping relationships, areas strategically important to Walmart’s e-commerce growth. Amazon’s Alexa Shopping Strategy

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total value of $342,751.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 574,953 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $67,953,695.07. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,710 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.10, for a total value of $419,601.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 626,299 shares in the company, valued at $70,834,416.90. This represents a 0.59% 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. Over the last three months, insiders sold 70,189 shares of company stock worth $8,377,320. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on WMT. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 7th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Erste Group Bank cut Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.56.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $115.27 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $114.34 and its 200 day moving average price is $121.52. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $95.42 and a 1 year high of $135.15. The company has a market capitalization of $917.33 billion, a PE ratio of 40.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 0.61. 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 released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.61 earnings per share. The firm’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. On average, research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Company 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.