Phoenix Financial Ltd. Sells 39,228 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Phoenix Financial Ltd. lessened its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 22.6% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 134,572 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 39,228 shares during the quarter. Phoenix Financial Ltd.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $15,012,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Collier Financial bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new position in Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 57.4% during 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. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total value of $1,214,600.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 108,294 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,153,389.24. This represents a 8.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total transaction of $4,158,004.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 533,466 shares in the company, valued at $65,082,852. This represents a 6.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 167,195 shares of company stock valued at $20,975,804 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS and other analysts expect Walmart to post a strong Q1, with sales growth and profit trends likely supporting another earnings beat. Walmart to Post Strong Q1, Extending Retail Lead on Sales Growth, UBS Says
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s earnings history and current setup suggest it could exceed expectations again, which is supporting bullish sentiment into the report. Walmart (WMT) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week’s Release
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart continues to attract bullish technical and style-score commentary, with multiple outlets calling it a long-term momentum name. Why Walmart (WMT) is a Top Momentum Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that grocery and restaurant prices are rising may support Walmart’s value proposition and traffic, since consumers often trade down to lower-cost retailers during inflationary periods. Grocery and Restaurant Prices Post Biggest Jump Since 2022
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is cutting or relocating about 1,000 corporate jobs as part of a broader restructuring and tech-focused operating simplification. The move could improve efficiency over time, but it also signals ongoing internal change. Walmart cutting or relocating about 1,000 corporate jobs
• Neutral Sentiment: Several recent articles highlighted continued restructuring and AI/technology investment, which may help long-term competitiveness but does not change the near-term earnings outlook by itself. Walmart Cuts Hundreds Of Corporate Jobs As AI-Driven Efficiency Push Accelerates: Report

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on WMT. Bank of America assumed coverage on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $150.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen lowered Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, January 18th. Argus raised Walmart to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 target price on Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.67.

Walmart Trading Up 0.8%

Walmart stock opened at $132.46 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.79. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $91.89 and a fifty-two week high of $134.69. The stock has a market cap of $1.06 trillion, a P/E ratio of 48.34, a PEG ratio of 4.89 and a beta of 0.65. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $126.30 and its 200-day moving average price is $119.06.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The company had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.66 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly 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. Equities research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a dividend of $0.2475 per share. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.13%.

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.