Rokos Capital Management LLP Acquires Shares of 160,581 Walmart Inc. $WMT

Rokos Capital Management LLP bought a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund bought 160,581 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $19,956,000.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of WMT. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in Walmart by 188.1% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,199,907,000 after acquiring an additional 7,614,172 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Walmart by 6.8% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $11,426,753,000 after acquiring an additional 6,517,394 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $592,848,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Walmart by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $49,015,626,000 after acquiring an additional 4,304,436 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. This trade represents a 8.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.08, for a total transaction of $1,628,550.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 661,037 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $82,021,470.96. The trade was a 1.95% 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 a total of 67,729 shares of company stock worth $8,124,931 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Up 2.1%

Walmart stock opened at $111.74 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $889.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.60. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $95.42 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $116.31 and its two-hundred day moving average is $122.02.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.61 earnings per share. 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 predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Market momentum and investor interest: Walmart outperformed the broader market during the latest session, providing a near-term boost to the stock. Walmart Beats Stock Market Upswing: What Investors Need to Know
• Positive Sentiment: Higher-income customer gains: Walmart is attracting more affluent shoppers through low prices, faster delivery and a broader product assortment. Sustaining this customer mix could support sales growth and improve the company’s competitive position. Can Walmart Sustain Gains Among Higher-Income Customers?
• Positive Sentiment: AI and efficiency potential: Walmart is using artificial intelligence behind the scenes to improve efficiency and reduce costs rather than selling AI products directly. Recent earnings strength and favorable analyst ratings add support to the investment case. These 3 AI Winners Don’t Sell the Tech—They Use It
• Positive Sentiment: Scale and supply-chain initiatives: Walmart, General Mills and ADM launched a regenerative agriculture program covering 40,000 Midwest wheat acres. While not an immediate earnings driver, the effort could strengthen Walmart’s supply-chain relationships and support its sustainability reputation. Walmart Launches Regenerative Agriculture Effort
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent fundamentals: Walmart’s latest quarterly revenue exceeded expectations, while earnings per share met consensus estimates. Revenue growth and the company’s scale remain supportive, although the stock’s elevated valuation makes continued execution important.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation risk: Commentary warns that Walmart trades at a premium relative to projected forward earnings. Its scale provides a durable cost advantage, but the rich valuation leaves less room for disappointing growth or margins. Walmart Is at $108: Why Investors Should Pause

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on WMT shares. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, June 8th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, July 17th. Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 target price (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Tigress Financial restated a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 target price (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 29th. 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’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $138.65.

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.