Tredje AP fonden Purchases 390,460 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Tredje AP fonden lifted its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 42.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,309,785 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 390,460 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for about 1.1% of Tredje AP fonden’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Tredje AP fonden’s holdings in Walmart were worth $145,923,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in WMT. Fox Run Management L.L.C. bought a new stake in Walmart during the third quarter worth approximately $1,709,000. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its position in Walmart by 2.9% during the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,010,886 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $104,182,000 after purchasing an additional 28,026 shares during the period. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners boosted its position in Walmart by 466.6% during the third quarter. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners now owns 13,343 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,375,000 after purchasing an additional 10,988 shares during the period. Tradewinds LLC. bought a new stake in Walmart during the third quarter worth approximately $11,077,000. Finally, Florida Trust Wealth Management Co boosted its position in Walmart by 7.0% during the fourth quarter. Florida Trust Wealth Management Co now owns 196,648 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $21,909,000 after purchasing an additional 12,794 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s push into AI and automation could support margins over time by improving fulfillment efficiency, boosting order values, and lowering operating costs. Walmart’s AI and Automation Push: Long-Term Cost Advantage?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor focus is turning to Walmart’s upcoming earnings report, with analysts watching key operating metrics beyond revenue and EPS for signs that the business is still executing well. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Walmart (WMT) Q1 Earnings, Beyond Revenue and EPS
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart remains a favored defensive retail name as investors compare it with other consumer staples and grocery operators during a volatile market backdrop. Forget Walmart. The Grocer Beating It on Trust and Margin Trades at a Third of the Multiple
• Neutral Sentiment: Several hedge fund filings showed mixed positioning in Walmart, with some managers adding shares and others trimming, which does not clearly change the near-term outlook. Moore Capital Management Boosts Walmart Stake by 3,454 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares in a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 transaction, adding a small insider-sale headline that may slightly pressure sentiment. SEC Form 4 filing
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market attention on geopolitical risk, including the Strait of Hormuz closure, may keep investors cautious and can weigh on sentiment even for defensive stocks like Walmart. NVDA, WMT Report This Week, but News on the Strait Is Key

Walmart Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of WMT stock opened at $133.34 on Tuesday. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $93.43 and a 12 month high of $134.69. The firm has a market cap of $1.06 trillion, a PE ratio of 48.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.65. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $126.57 and a 200-day moving average of $119.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.Walmart’s revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.66 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a $0.2475 dividend. 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 is presently 36.13%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on WMT. Tigress Financial set a $150.00 price target on Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $140.00 price target (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Argus upgraded Walmart to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price target on Walmart from $127.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.88.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.71, for a total value of $2,460,201.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,023,209 shares in the company, valued at approximately $509,780,812.39. This represents a 0.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total value of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $62,203,571.56. The trade was a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 167,190 shares of company stock valued at $20,975,838 in the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.