8,830 Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Bought by Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund

Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 1.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 547,884 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 8,830 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for approximately 0.6% of Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund’s holdings in Walmart were worth $56,936,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Walmart in the second quarter worth about $7,455,131,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in Walmart in the second quarter valued at about $2,905,655,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in Walmart in the second quarter valued at about $796,677,000. Deutsche Bank AG grew its position in shares of Walmart by 54.0% during the 2nd quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 18,607,297 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,107,462,000 after acquiring an additional 6,525,224 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi grew its position in shares of Walmart by 44.4% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 20,796,957 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,355,463,000 after acquiring an additional 6,393,326 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT opened at $124.86 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $990.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.08, a PEG ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.53. 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 firm has a 50-day moving average price of $111.08 and a 200-day moving average price of $118.46. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $98.88 and a twelve month high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.68 earnings per share. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.88 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CTO Suresh Kumar sold 166,342 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.21, for a total value of $20,494,997.82. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 1,632,223 shares in the company, valued at approximately $201,106,195.83. The trade was a 9.25% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,990 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.41, for a total transaction of $416,595.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 618,359 shares in the company, valued at $64,562,863.19. The trade was a 0.64% 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 268,222 shares of company stock worth $31,604,051 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Walmart from $141.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 21st. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 21st. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $128.00 target price (down from $137.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on Walmart from $137.00 to $131.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Guggenheim set a $130.00 price target on Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $132.41.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart may be positioned to beat its next earnings estimates, according to Zacks, which points to its history of earnings surprises and factors supporting another potential beat. Why Walmart is Poised to Beat Earnings Estimates Again
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s expanded Sparky AI shopping assistant could support holiday sales by helping customers shop and potentially encouraging larger orders. Can Walmart’s Expanded Sparky AI Boost Holiday Shopping and Sales?
• Positive Sentiment: A report says Walmart’s e-commerce sales are growing faster than Amazon’s, suggesting its online business is gaining momentum. 1 Stat That Makes Walmart Hard to Ignore This November
• Neutral Sentiment: CTO Suresh Kumar sold 166,342 shares, and EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,346 shares. Both trades were made under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans; the sales may draw attention, but do not necessarily indicate a change in their views of the company. Kumar SEC filing Bartlett SEC filing
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish commentary highlights Walmart’s high valuation, with one article returning to a “strong sell” rating and another warning that the valuation may be stretched. Valuation concerns could weigh on sentiment even as the business outlook remains constructive. Walmart: Back To The Strong Sell Rating Walmart’s Defensive Reputation and Valuation

Walmart Company Profile

Walmart Inc (NASDAQ:WMT) operates a global retail business through a network of supercenters, supermarkets, discount stores, neighborhood markets, warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms. Its stores and websites sell a broad assortment of merchandise, including groceries, consumables, health and wellness products, apparel, electronics, home goods, toys and other general merchandise.

The company organizes its operations into Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam’s Club U.S. Walmart U.S.