Franklin Resources Inc. Acquires 920,969 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 2.6% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 36,820,550 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 920,969 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for approximately 1.0% of Franklin Resources Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest holding. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $4,102,546,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Erste Asset Management GmbH boosted its stake in Walmart by 21.9% during the fourth quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH now owns 227,672 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,910,000 after acquiring an additional 40,861 shares in the last quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 1,369,583 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $152,599,000 after acquiring an additional 40,964 shares in the last quarter. CenterBook Partners LP bought a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $23,952,000. Manchester Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 32,847 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,659,000 after acquiring an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $2,496,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT opened at $118.88 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $125.62 and a 200-day moving average price of $121.20. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $93.43 and a twelve month high of $135.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $946.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.71, a PEG ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.60.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.61 earnings per share. The firm’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 research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total transaction of $1,600,725.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 687,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $83,821,522.52. The trade was a 1.87% 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, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total transaction of $1,308,670.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,300,550.91. The trade was a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 117,008 shares of company stock valued at $14,492,704 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on WMT shares. Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. UBS Group set a $141.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 18th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $140.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, February 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.85.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart saw unusually heavy call-option buying, with traders purchasing 174,648 calls, about 43% above average volume. That suggests some investors are betting on a rebound or near-term upside.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart expanded its delivery business by adding Subway meals to its Express Delivery offering, allowing customers to order freshly made food through the Walmart app or website and receive it in as little as 30 minutes. The move could help Walmart boost order frequency, strengthen its convenience proposition, and take a larger share of meal budgets. Walmart Adds Express Delivery From In-Store Restaurants, Starting With Subway®
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholders backed Walmart’s 2026 annual meeting results, and management highlighted strong FY26 performance and its omnichannel model, reinforcing confidence in the company’s growth strategy. Walmart Announces 2026 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting Voting Results

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.