Park National Corp OH Raises Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Park National Corp OH boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 33.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 33,392 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 8,454 shares during the quarter. Park National Corp OH’s holdings in Walmart were worth $4,150,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of WMT. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 188.1% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,199,907,000 after purchasing an additional 7,614,172 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors acquired a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $592,848,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Walmart by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $49,015,626,000 after purchasing an additional 4,304,436 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $117.18 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $124.37 and its 200 day moving average price is $122.15. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $94.23 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm has a market cap of $932.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.12, a P/E/G ratio of 4.37 and a beta of 0.60.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (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 analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.61 EPS. Walmart’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, equities research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, 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 value of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total transaction of $359,368.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 577,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $71,607,543.76. This represents a 0.50% 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. Insiders have sold a total of 120,146 shares of company stock valued at $14,835,898 over the last three months. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on WMT. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $150.00 price objective for the company. Tigress Financial restated a “buy” rating and issued a $155.00 price objective (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, UBS Group set a $141.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.85.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart announced a nationwide effort with Sam’s Club to help Medicare beneficiaries understand new prescription drug coverage options tied to weight management and chronic care, reinforcing its healthcare and pharmacy services strategy.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is integrating Walmart Connect and Sam’s Club advertising operations into one framework, a move that signals continued growth and better monetization of its ad business.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted improving Walmart International sales, supported by store gains, e-commerce growth, marketplace expansion, and faster fulfillment, suggesting momentum in a key segment.
• Neutral Sentiment: EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares at an average price of $118.19 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan; the sale was small relative to his holdings and is typically viewed as routine insider activity.
• Negative Sentiment: California consumers filed a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging Walmart and other retailers used an AI pricing tool to illegally raise gas prices, creating potential legal, regulatory, and reputational risk.
• Negative Sentiment: Reuters reported Walmart was among gas-station operators sued over allegations of AI-driven pump-price inflation in California, adding another legal headline that could pressure sentiment.
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart also faces scrutiny in China, where regulators ordered Sam’s Club to strengthen food-safety controls and supply-chain inspections, adding operational pressure in an important international market.

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.