Mediolanum International Funds Ltd Sells 34,317 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Mediolanum International Funds Ltd trimmed its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 11.3% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 268,982 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 34,317 shares during the period. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd’s holdings in Walmart were worth $33,219,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Spartan Wealth Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the first quarter valued at approximately $5,436,000. WealthTrust Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 1st quarter worth approximately $229,000. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC now owns 125,641 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $15,615,000 after buying an additional 2,269 shares during the period. Kinsale Capital Group Inc. grew its holdings in Walmart by 3.5% during the 1st quarter. Kinsale Capital Group Inc. now owns 168,264 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $20,912,000 after acquiring an additional 5,708 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Freemont Management S.A. increased its position in Walmart by 77.1% in the 1st quarter. Freemont Management S.A. now owns 14,700 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,827,000 after acquiring an additional 6,400 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Guggenheim raised their price target on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $137.00 price objective (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 11th. Truist Financial set a $140.00 target price on Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Freedom Capital raised Walmart from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.85.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,300,550.91. The trade was a 8.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total value of $2,303,320.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,174,579 shares in the company, valued at $495,230,306.77. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 87,145 shares of company stock valued at $10,691,920. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart News Roundup

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)

Walmart Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $114.24 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $909.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.60. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $94.43 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $118.82 and its 200-day moving average price is $122.04.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart’s revenue for the quarter 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. Equities analysts forecast 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.