QRG Capital Management Inc. Acquires 40,799 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 4.9% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 874,800 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 40,799 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for 0.7% of QRG Capital Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $99,080,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $7,455,131,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $6,458,529,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in Walmart in the second quarter worth $2,905,655,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in Walmart in the second quarter worth $796,677,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 54.0% in the second quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 18,607,297 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,107,462,000 after acquiring an additional 6,525,224 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT traded up $0.41 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $110.53. 20,180,494 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 25,420,092. The company has a market cap of $876.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.90, a P/E/G ratio of 4.10 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $98.88 and a one year high of $135.15. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $109.55 and a 200 day moving average of $117.90.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The company had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.68 EPS. Walmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,950 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.14, for a total value of $415,303.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 622,349 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,433,773.86. This trade represents a 0.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total transaction of $5,335,345.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 201,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,246,145.20. This trade represents a 20.07% 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. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 81,004 shares of company stock worth $8,601,724. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on WMT shares. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $120.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $140.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Mizuho set a $130.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $125.00 target price (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.88.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart opened a new Neighborhood Market in Mesquite, Texas, expanding its grocery, pharmacy and everyday-essentials footprint. The smaller-format store could support local sales growth and provide additional omnichannel fulfillment capacity. Walmart Opens New Neighborhood Market in Mesquite, Texas
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to identify Walmart as a beneficiary of omnichannel growth, private-label expansion, loyalty programs, retail media and automation. These businesses could help drive sales and improve productivity over time. 3 Supermarket Stocks Set to Benefit From Omnichannel & Loyalty Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is reportedly expanding predictive precision targeting at Sam’s Club to increase advertising revenue. Retail media generally carries attractive margins and could diversify Walmart’s earnings beyond traditional retail. Walmart Launches Predictive Precision Targeting at Sam’s Club
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart remains highlighted among leading e-commerce stocks, but the article provides limited new company-specific information or financial estimates. Best Ecommerce Stocks To Consider
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical commentary describes Walmart as a potential retail recovery setup, but the stock still faces key market and earnings tests. Walmart, Target and Costco Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: A report that Walmart recently posted its lowest operating margin in nine years raises concern about profitability, particularly as the company invests in pricing, wages, technology and expansion. This is important because WMT trades at a premium valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Senators are urging the FTC to scrutinize Walmart’s Sparky AI shopping assistant. Regulatory attention could increase compliance costs or limit the benefits of Walmart’s AI initiatives. Senators Push FTC to Scrutinize Sparky AI
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s renewed healthcare strategy follows an earlier costly retreat, creating execution risk and potentially weighing on returns if the business again fails to reach scale. Two Years After a Costly Retreat, Walmart Tries Health Again

Walmart Profile

Walmart Inc is a multinational retail and technology company that operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood markets, e-commerce platforms and membership warehouse clubs. Its merchandise includes groceries, apparel, electronics, home goods, health and beauty products, general merchandise and other consumer products.

Founded by Sam Walton in 1962 and incorporated in 1969, Walmart is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company serves customers through operations in the United States and international markets, including Mexico, Canada, China, India and several countries in Central America and Africa.