GW Henssler & Associates Ltd. Sells 7,570 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

GW Henssler & Associates Ltd. trimmed its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 3.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 192,317 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 7,570 shares during the period. GW Henssler & Associates Ltd.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $21,426,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at about $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 188.1% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,199,907,000 after acquiring an additional 7,614,172 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 6.8% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $11,426,753,000 after acquiring an additional 6,517,394 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Walmart by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $49,015,626,000 after acquiring an additional 4,304,436 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi boosted its holdings in Walmart by 20.5% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 23,497,921 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,413,236,000 after acquiring an additional 4,004,277 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently weighed in on WMT. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their target price on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $137.00 target price (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $150.00 target price for the company. UBS Group set a $141.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $138.85.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart said its drones have now completed more than 1 million deliveries, highlighting momentum in its fast-growing delivery network and reinforcing its push to improve convenience and speed for shoppers. Walmart Marks Millionth Drone Drop-Off Amid Increased Delivery Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart expanded 30-minute delivery to 33 U.S. markets, strengthening its competitive position in grocery, pharmacy, and everyday essentials as e-commerce demand continues to rise. Walmart’s 30-Minute Delivery Expansion Strengthens Its Retail Edge
• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial reportedly raised its price target on Walmart, citing AI investments gaining traction, which suggests some analysts still see upside from the company’s technology and automation efforts. Walmart (WMT) Gets Higher Price Target from Tigress Financial as AI Investments Gain Traction
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its private-brand selection with new hardware and home products, a move that could help it win value-conscious shoppers, but the near-term stock impact is likely modest. Walmart Expands Private Brand Selection as Shoppers Cut Back
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent insider stock sales by executives, including C. Douglas McMillon and Latriece Watkins, may draw attention, but these transactions are not necessarily a negative signal for the business itself. C Douglas Mcmillon Sells 19,416 Shares of Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock Latriece Watkins Sells 11,000 Shares of Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock
• Negative Sentiment: A report that Walmart capped employee AI usage could be seen as a short-term operational constraint, potentially limiting efficiency gains from an area investors view as a future growth driver. Update: Market Chatter: Walmart Limits Staff’s Usage of AI Tool After High Demand

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $114.60 on Tuesday. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $93.43 and a 12-month 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 capitalization of $913.48 billion, a PE ratio of 40.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 0.60. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $125.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $120.81.

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. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The company’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business 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 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 577,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $71,607,543.76. This trade represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.08, for a total transaction of $1,628,550.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 661,037 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $82,021,470.96. The trade was a 1.95% 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. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 117,008 shares of company stock valued at $14,492,704. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.