South Dakota Investment Council Reduces Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

South Dakota Investment Council lessened its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 26.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 30,521 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 10,944 shares during the quarter. South Dakota Investment Council’s holdings in Walmart were worth $3,793,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 57.4% in 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 period. Clayton Financial Group LLC increased its position in Walmart by 193.0% during the fourth quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sankala Group LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Down 2.7%

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $111.10 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $95.42 and a 52 week high of $135.15. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $115.35 and its two-hundred day moving average is $122.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $884.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The company’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 125,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total transaction of $413,891.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 630,009 shares in the company, valued at $69,074,186.76. This trade represents a 0.60% 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 sold a total of 67,729 shares of company stock worth $8,124,931 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on WMT. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, July 17th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. UBS Group set a $141.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.65.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Expanded wellness assortment could support growth. Walmart added or expanded placements for products from Magic Science, Kate Farms, Edible Garden AG and Final Boss Sour across stores and Walmart.com ahead of back-to-school shopping. The move reinforces Walmart’s position in health, wellness and everyday essentials, although the near-term financial impact is not yet quantified. How Walmart’s Back-to-School Wellness Push With New Brands Will Impact Walmart Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Potential shareholder-return support from buybacks. Coverage of Walmart’s large repurchase authorization highlights the possibility of reducing shares outstanding, increasing per-share earnings and supporting long-term shareholder returns. The benefit depends on the pace and price of repurchases, particularly given Walmart’s elevated valuation. Walmart’s Stock Buybacks: How Its Massive New Repurchase Program Could Affect Shareholder Returns
• Positive Sentiment: FTC clearance removes a hurdle for the Vibe transaction. The Federal Trade Commission’s decision allowing Walmart’s deal for Vibe to proceed reduces near-term regulatory uncertainty and could provide an additional growth opportunity, though the article provides limited details on the transaction’s expected financial contribution. Walmart’s Deal for Vibe Is Cleared by the FTC to Progress
• Neutral Sentiment: Peer comparisons underscore valuation concerns. Articles comparing Walmart with J. Sainsbury and Costco point to Walmart’s resilient retail model, digital growth and customer loyalty, but also emphasize differences in valuation and earnings drivers. With Walmart trading at a relatively high earnings multiple, investors may require continued strong execution to justify the premium. Walmart vs. Costco: Which Retail Stock Has the Stronger Edge?
• Negative Sentiment: AI shopping-bot findings raised regulatory risk. A study led by former FTC Chair Lina Khan said Amazon and Walmart’s AI assistants can identify potentially false “Made in USA” claims but do not consistently flag them to shoppers. The findings could increase scrutiny over marketplace oversight, consumer protection and the accuracy of Walmart’s AI tools, weighing on sentiment. Amazon, Walmart AI Detect ‘Made in USA’ Fraud but Do Not Flag It, Study Says

Walmart 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.