SEB Asset Management AB Makes New $179.54 Million Investment in Walmart Inc. $WMT

SEB Asset Management AB acquired a new position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund acquired 1,444,614 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $179,537,000. Walmart accounts for approximately 0.8% of SEB Asset Management AB’s holdings, making the stock its 20th biggest holding.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 57.4% during the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the period. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 193.0% in 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. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.21, for a total value of $2,566,989.36. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,193,995 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $554,488,078.95. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total transaction of $1,308,670.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. The trade was a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 87,145 shares of company stock worth $10,691,920 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Trading Down 0.6%

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $114.24 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $909.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.08, a P/E/G ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.60. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $118.82 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $122.04. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $94.43 and a 1 year high of $135.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.61 earnings per share. The firm’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. As a group, analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price objective (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. One equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.85.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

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 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.