Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Acquires New Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund bought 544,500 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $67,670,000. Walmart accounts for 1.2% of Louisiana State Employees Retirement System’s portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. 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 buying an additional 105 shares during the period. Clayton Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 193.0% during the 4th quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sankala Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on WMT. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Truist Financial set a $140.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 21st. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Tigress Financial reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $155.00 target price (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One investment 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.85.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,385 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.83, for a total value of $165,964.55. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 633,784 shares in the company, valued at approximately $75,946,336.72. The trade was a 0.22% 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. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 100,730 shares of company stock valued at $12,444,624. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts said Walmart’s reported deal for Vibe.co strengthens its advertising strategy and could support long-term revenue growth, helping investors see the company as more than just a low-margin retailer. Prediction: Walmart Will Rejoin the $1 Trillion Club by 2027. Here’s Why It’s a Great Buy Now.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding Shapermint into 1,600 more stores nationwide, adding another growth initiative outside core grocery sales and reinforcing its push into higher-margin apparel and lifestyle categories. Walmart (WMT) Expands Shapermint Into 1,600 More Stores Nationwide
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Walmart’s long-term scale and growth prospects suggests the stock remains attractive for investors who believe its advertising, marketplace, and omnichannel businesses can expand profits over time. Walmart vs. Target: Which Stock Offers Better Long-Term Value?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles compared Walmart with rivals like Target and Amazon, reflecting investor focus on competitive positioning rather than a clear new catalyst for earnings. Walmart Wants to Turn the Living Room Into a Storefront
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports that Amazon has surpassed Walmart as the largest U.S. retailer by GMV and commentary that Walmart has fallen out of the $1 trillion club may weigh on sentiment, but these were framed more as strategic context than immediate fundamental damage. Amazon Unseats Walmart as Top US Retailer

Walmart Price Performance

WMT stock opened at $115.69 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $94.23 and a 12 month high of $135.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $123.74 and a 200 day moving average price of $122.17. The stock has a market cap of $920.67 billion, a PE ratio of 40.59, a P/E/G ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 0.59.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The firm’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.61 EPS. 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 anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

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.