California Public Employees Retirement System Boosts Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

California Public Employees Retirement System increased its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 2.0% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 8,775,480 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 169,774 shares during the period. Walmart comprises 0.7% of California Public Employees Retirement System’s portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. California Public Employees Retirement System’s holdings in Walmart were worth $1,090,617,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 57.4% during the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 193.0% during the fourth quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: June U.S. retail sales held up, suggesting consumers are still spending as Walmart heads into the back-to-school season; that could support traffic and sales volumes if the company remains aggressive on pricing. Retail Sales Hold Up as Walmart and Amazon Go Back to School
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is also being discussed in multiple market and analyst roundups, with commentary focusing on its strong digital growth and role as a defensive stock, but these pieces do not appear to include a major new business update. Walmart Commands a 36.74X Forward P/E: Is the Stock Worth Buying?
• Neutral Sentiment: An article about AI and retail highlighted that Walmart is investing in automation while still emphasizing workers, which reinforces its long-term strategy but is unlikely to move the stock on its own. Walmart’s people chief says these 10 jobs are still hot in the age of AI
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts argue Walmart’s premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointment, with one note saying momentum alone may not justify the stock’s high forward P/E. Walmart’s Momentum Cannot Justify The Premium
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart has also been the subject of bearish commentary saying the recent sell-off may not be over, adding to investor caution around the shares. Walmart: The Sell-Off Isn’t Over Yet (Rating Upgrade)

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total value of $2,303,320.08. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,174,579 shares in the company, valued at approximately $495,230,306.77. The trade was a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 87,145 shares of company stock worth $10,691,920 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on WMT. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, June 8th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price target (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $137.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.85.

Walmart Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of WMT stock opened at $114.24 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $94.43 and a 12 month high of $135.15. The stock has a market cap of $909.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.08, a P/E/G ratio of 4.29 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $118.82 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $122.04.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart’s quarterly 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, research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 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.