Natixis Advisors LLC Increases Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Natixis Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 2.2% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 2,529,236 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 54,859 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $281,783,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Collier Financial purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the third quarter worth $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the third quarter worth $30,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 57.4% in the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on WMT. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 price target (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Roth Mkm restated a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price objective on Walmart in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $137.00 price objective (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $138.85.

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $114.60 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $125.98 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $120.81. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $93.43 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $913.48 billion, a PE ratio of 40.21, a P/E/G ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 0.60.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) 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 business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart’s revenue for the quarter 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. Analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart said its drones have now completed more than 1 million deliveries, highlighting momentum in its fast-growing delivery network and reinforcing its push to improve convenience and speed for shoppers. Walmart Marks Millionth Drone Drop-Off Amid Increased Delivery Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart expanded 30-minute delivery to 33 U.S. markets, strengthening its competitive position in grocery, pharmacy, and everyday essentials as e-commerce demand continues to rise. Walmart’s 30-Minute Delivery Expansion Strengthens Its Retail Edge
• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial reportedly raised its price target on Walmart, citing AI investments gaining traction, which suggests some analysts still see upside from the company’s technology and automation efforts. Walmart (WMT) Gets Higher Price Target from Tigress Financial as AI Investments Gain Traction
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its private-brand selection with new hardware and home products, a move that could help it win value-conscious shoppers, but the near-term stock impact is likely modest. Walmart Expands Private Brand Selection as Shoppers Cut Back
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent insider stock sales by executives, including C. Douglas McMillon and Latriece Watkins, may draw attention, but these transactions are not necessarily a negative signal for the business itself. C Douglas Mcmillon Sells 19,416 Shares of Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock Latriece Watkins Sells 11,000 Shares of Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock
• Negative Sentiment: A report that Walmart capped employee AI usage could be seen as a short-term operational constraint, potentially limiting efficiency gains from an area investors view as a future growth driver. Update: Market Chatter: Walmart Limits Staff’s Usage of AI Tool After High Demand

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total transaction of $359,368.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 577,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $71,607,543.76. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible 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 business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $14,300,550.91. This represents a 8.38% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 117,008 shares of company stock valued at $14,492,704 in the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.