California Public Employees Retirement System Purchases 169,774 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 2.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,775,480 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 169,774 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up about 0.7% of California Public Employees Retirement System’s holdings, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. California Public Employees Retirement System owned about 0.11% of Walmart worth $1,090,617,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the first quarter valued at $29,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 57.4% in the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC boosted 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 purchasing an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on WMT shares. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Erste Group Bank lowered Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, UBS Group set a $141.00 price target on Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.85.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $114.24 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $94.43 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $118.82 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $122.04. The stock has a market cap of $909.13 billion, a PE ratio of 40.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.29 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its 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 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 analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.61 earnings per share. The business’s 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. Analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: June U.S. retail sales held up, suggesting consumers are still spending as Walmart heads into the back-to-school season; that could support traffic and sales volumes if the company remains aggressive on pricing. Retail Sales Hold Up as Walmart and Amazon Go Back to School
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is also being discussed in multiple market and analyst roundups, with commentary focusing on its strong digital growth and role as a defensive stock, but these pieces do not appear to include a major new business update. Walmart Commands a 36.74X Forward P/E: Is the Stock Worth Buying?
• Neutral Sentiment: An article about AI and retail highlighted that Walmart is investing in automation while still emphasizing workers, which reinforces its long-term strategy but is unlikely to move the stock on its own. Walmart’s people chief says these 10 jobs are still hot in the age of AI
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts argue Walmart’s premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointment, with one note saying momentum alone may not justify the stock’s high forward P/E. Walmart’s Momentum Cannot Justify The Premium
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart has also been the subject of bearish commentary saying the recent sell-off may not be over, adding to investor caution around the shares. Walmart: The Sell-Off Isn’t Over Yet (Rating Upgrade)

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was 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 approximately $14,300,550.91. The trade was a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 have sold 87,145 shares of company stock valued at $10,691,920 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

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.