Franklin Resources Inc. Sells 670,775 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Franklin Resources Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 1.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 35,899,581 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 670,775 shares during the period. Walmart comprises 0.9% of Franklin Resources Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Franklin Resources Inc. owned about 0.45% of Walmart worth $3,699,811,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Collier Financial acquired a new position in Walmart during the third quarter worth $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 212.6% in the 3rd quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 322 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth about $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $125.12 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The firm has a market cap of $997.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.66, a P/E/G ratio of 4.63 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $79.81 and a 12 month high of $134.69. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $122.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $111.44.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.66 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s payout ratio is 34.31%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the subject of several analyst reports. DA Davidson set a $150.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. CICC Research assumed coverage on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, December 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 target price for the company. Finally, Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, March 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Walmart presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $135.76.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Friday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.83, for a total value of $2,171,291.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,315,333 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $482,583,689.39. This trade represents a 0.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total value of $2,445,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 506,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $61,962,034.28. The trade was a 3.80% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 279,703 shares of company stock worth $34,140,843. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Walmart

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.