Vanguard Group Inc. Purchases 5,856,468 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

by · The Markets Daily

Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT – Free Report) by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 431,817,510 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,856,468 shares during the period. Walmart makes up approximately 0.7% of Vanguard Group Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 0.05% of Walmart worth $42,223,116,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Aviva PLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 16.4% in the second quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 3,833,720 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $374,861,000 after acquiring an additional 539,504 shares during the last quarter. Weatherly Asset Management L. P. raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 7.0% in the 2nd quarter. Weatherly Asset Management L. P. now owns 56,140 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,489,000 after purchasing an additional 3,696 shares in the last quarter. Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 34.6% during the 1st quarter. Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management now owns 38,213 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,355,000 after purchasing an additional 9,831 shares during the last quarter. Ally Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the first quarter worth $2,107,000. Finally, Night Squared LP purchased a new position in Walmart in the first quarter valued at $1,052,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $102.97 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $103.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $99.78. The firm has a market cap of $820.92 billion, a PE ratio of 38.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.83 and a beta of 0.67. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $79.81 and a 12-month high of $109.57. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 21st. The retailer reported $0.68 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.74 by ($0.06). Walmart had a net margin of 3.08% and a return on equity of 21.45%. The business had revenue of $169.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.02 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.67 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.580-0.600 EPS. FY 2026 guidance at 2.520-2.620 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,550 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.46, for a total transaction of $166,563.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 644,418 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $69,249,158.28. This represents a 0.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.18, for a total value of $222,596.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 619,518 shares in the company, valued at $62,682,831.24. This trade represents a 0.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 145,383 shares of company stock valued at $14,961,647. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $111.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, September 24th. Tigress Financial upped their price target on Walmart from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 3rd. DA Davidson set a $117.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $117.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, August 22nd. Thirty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $113.97.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on WMT

Walmart Profile

(Free Report)

Walmart Inc engages in the operation of retail, wholesale, other units, and eCommerce worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club. It operates supercenters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, cash and carry stores, and discount stores under Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands; membership-only warehouse clubs; ecommerce websites, such as walmart.com.mx, walmart.ca, flipkart.com, PhonePe and other sites; and mobile commerce applications.

Further Reading

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