Van ECK Associates Corp Sells 109,742 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Van ECK Associates Corp lessened its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 10.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 992,586 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 109,742 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in Walmart were worth $112,420,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in WMT. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Walmart during the 1st quarter worth $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 57.4% during the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the period. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on WMT shares. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $120.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $115.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $128.00 price objective (down from $137.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.88.

Walmart Trading Up 1.0%

Walmart stock opened at $105.92 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $111.38 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $120.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock has a market cap of $840.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.59. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $96.51 and a 12 month high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The company had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.68 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total transaction of $5,335,345.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 201,672 shares in the company, valued at $21,246,145.20. The trade was a 20.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the business’s 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares in the company, valued at $69,074,186.76. This trade represents a 0.60% 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. Insiders sold 77,292 shares of company stock valued at $8,421,143 in the last ninety days. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Opioid lawsuit ends with limited financial impact: Walmart agreed to pay approximately $50 million to resolve a Justice Department lawsuit involving its pharmacies’ opioid-distribution practices. The settlement is described as immaterial relative to Walmart’s profits and substantially below the potentially multibillion-dollar penalties once threatened, reducing a major legal overhang. Walmart escapes major legal penalty for a fraction of the cost
• Positive Sentiment: Marketplace growth remains strong: Walmart’s U.S. marketplace sales reportedly increased 52%, helped by a broader product assortment, increased fulfillment adoption and expansion into Mexico and Canada. Continued marketplace momentum could improve customer engagement and support higher-margin advertising and third-party seller revenue. Walmart’s Marketplace Momentum Builds
• Positive Sentiment: International digital operations are improving: Rising e-commerce penetration and reduced losses in Walmart International are improving the segment’s economics. However, ongoing investment and margin pressure could limit the near-term earnings benefit. Walmart International’s Digital Mix Rises
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst remains bullish: Tigress Financial reaffirmed its “buy” rating and set a $155 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. SAIC, Walmart And 3 Stocks To Watch
• Neutral Sentiment: Value comparison offers limited direction: Articles comparing Walmart with J. Sainsbury PLC focus on relative valuation rather than a new company-specific catalyst. Walmart’s strong operating profile is balanced by a comparatively elevated earnings multiple, making valuation-sensitive investors more selective. JSAIY vs. WMT: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
• Negative Sentiment: EPS estimates were trimmed: Erste Group Bank lowered its fiscal 2027 earnings-per-share estimates for Walmart, reinforcing concerns that elevated investment, e-commerce costs or margin pressure could constrain profit growth. FY2027 EPS Estimates for Walmart Cut by Erste Group Bank

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.