KBC Group NV Raises Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

KBC Group NV increased its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 980,306 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 47,685 shares during the period. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Walmart were worth $110,980,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Walmart during the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 57.4% during the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total transaction of $413,891.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $69,074,186.76. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 661,037 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $82,021,470.96. The trade was a 1.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 70,189 shares of company stock worth $8,377,320. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

Walmart stock opened at $115.20 on Wednesday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $114.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $121.52. 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 company has a market cap of $916.77 billion, a PE ratio of 40.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.61. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $95.42 and a twelve month high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, hitting 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 analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.61 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s history of earnings surprises, along with favorable estimates and other indicators tracked by Zacks, suggests the company could exceed consensus expectations again. Why Walmart Could Beat Earnings Estimates Again
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are highlighting continued e-commerce momentum, improving profit mix and Walmart Connect’s rapidly growing advertising business. Advertising revenue carries higher margins and may help offset price investments, delivery costs and softer store-sales growth. As Retail Stagnates, Ad Dollars Help Walmart Stay the Course
• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson reaffirmed its buy rating and assigned a $150 price target, indicating substantial potential appreciation if Walmart delivers on its growth and profitability plans. DA Davidson Walmart Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: The upcoming report is viewed as an important read on the U.S. consumer because Walmart serves both value-focused and higher-income shoppers. Its performance could provide broader insight into household spending trends. What Walmart and Target Earnings Could Tell Us About Consumers
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s low-price strategy and thousands of rollbacks may sustain customer traffic, although rising fuel costs are creating pressure for lower-income shoppers. Can Walmart Sustain Growth as Household Budgets Tighten?
• Negative Sentiment: Same-store sales growth has cooled, and investors remain concerned that Walmart’s cautious annual outlook could limit upside. The company is increasingly relying on higher-margin advertising to support profitability as core retail momentum moderates. Walmart Investors Hang Hopes on Retail Media as Sales Cool
• Negative Sentiment: Several previews warn that WMT’s valuation is demanding, while fuel costs, cautious consumers and operating-margin pressure could make it difficult to justify further gains. One report also frames the company’s long dividend-growth streak as potentially vulnerable if earnings and cash flow weaken. Walmart Strong Company but Overvalued Before Earnings

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on WMT. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $142.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $137.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $135.00 price objective (down from $137.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $137.00 target price (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price target (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.50.

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.