Bessemer Group Inc. Buys 65,445 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 1.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,312,421 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 65,445 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up about 0.8% of Bessemer Group Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Bessemer Group Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $535,949,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Avalon Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 46.9% in the 1st quarter. Avalon Trust Co now owns 6,793 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $844,000 after purchasing an additional 2,168 shares during the last quarter. Gerald Baker Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the first quarter valued at approximately $20,016,000. SteelPeak Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Walmart by 13.4% during the 1st quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC now owns 43,449 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,410,000 after acquiring an additional 5,123 shares during the period. One Day In July LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. One Day In July LLC now owns 8,361 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,039,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Frisch Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Walmart by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. now owns 6,886 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $857,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s back-to-school push is getting attention as the retailer highlights its lowest prices since 2019 on popular school items, which could help drive traffic and sales into the important seasonal shopping period. Walmart Helps Americans Navigate Their Annual Back-to-School Reset with Unmatched Value, Convenience and Style
• Positive Sentiment: June retail sales rose modestly, suggesting consumers are still spending and reinforcing Walmart’s value-oriented appeal as shoppers look for lower prices on essentials. Retail Sales Hold Up as Walmart and Amazon Go Back to School
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart also announced a partnership with General Mills and ADM to expand regenerative agriculture across 40,000 Midwest wheat acres, a long-term supply-chain and sustainability initiative that may support the company’s brand and sourcing strategy. General Mills, ADM, Walmart Partner to Accelerate Regenerative Agriculture Across 40,000 Midwest Wheat Acres
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to flag Walmart’s premium valuation, with a forward P/E around 36.7x, which suggests investors expect strong execution but also leaves less room for disappointment. Walmart Commands a 36.74X Forward P/E: Is the Stock Worth Buying?
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on Walmart’s AI-related hiring plans highlights the company’s investment in automation and digital tools, but it does not appear to materially change near-term earnings expectations. Walmart’s people chief says these 10 jobs are still hot in the age of AI
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market volatility and articles comparing Walmart with other defensive stocks add context, but they are not direct catalysts for the shares. 3 Stocks to Own When the Market Gets Ugly in July
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s stock has also recently been under pressure on a day when the broader market was firmer, underscoring some investor caution around the name despite its defensive profile. Walmart (WMT) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here’s Why

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at $14,300,550.91. This trade represents a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.21, for a total transaction of $2,566,989.36. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,193,995 shares in the company, valued at approximately $554,488,078.95. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 87,145 shares of company stock worth $10,691,920. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $114.95 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The firm has a market cap of $914.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.19 and a beta of 0.60. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $119.14 and its 200-day moving average is $122.10. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $94.43 and a one year high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart’s quarterly 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. Equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on WMT. Freedom Capital raised Walmart from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Morgan Stanley upped their price target 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 report on Friday, May 22nd. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.85.

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.