Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Sold by Payden & Rygel

Payden & Rygel lessened its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 6.6% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 193,100 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 13,700 shares during the period. Walmart makes up about 1.5% of Payden & Rygel’s portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Payden & Rygel’s holdings in Walmart were worth $21,513,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $49,015,626,000 after acquiring an additional 4,304,436 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $19,046,104,000 after acquiring an additional 2,242,364 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,298,623 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,153,176,000 after acquiring an additional 634,211 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 27,268,463 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,810,288,000 after acquiring an additional 934,468 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 24,990,692 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,575,541,000 after acquiring an additional 93,459 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Stock Up 1.4%

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 P/E/G ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.65. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $126.57 and a 200 day simple moving average of $119.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24.

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

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.2475 per share. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.13%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on WMT. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. DA Davidson set a $150.00 target price on Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 target price on Walmart in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $137.00 target price (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $138.88.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $62,203,571.56. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.77, for a total transaction of $167,212.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 635,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $85,023,275.61. This trade represents a 0.20% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 167,190 shares of company stock valued at $20,975,838 over the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Walmart News Roundup

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

About Walmart

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.