Walmart Inc. $WMT Holdings Cut by Hartford Investment Management Co.

Hartford Investment Management Co. lowered its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 1.5% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 253,264 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 3,956 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for about 0.8% of Hartford Investment Management Co.’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position. Hartford Investment Management Co.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $28,216,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings 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 during the last quarter. 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 worth $49,015,626,000 after acquiring an additional 4,304,436 shares during the last quarter. Amundi lifted its holdings in Walmart by 20.5% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 23,497,921 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,413,236,000 after acquiring an additional 4,004,277 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the third quarter valued at approximately $294,621,000. Finally, PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $280,736,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reiterated its Walmart price target ahead of earnings, reinforcing a favorable analyst outlook for the retailer. Morgan Stanley reiterates Walmart stock price target pre-earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s planned layoffs/relocations of roughly 1,000 corporate workers may be viewed as a cost-cutting move that could improve operating efficiency, especially as the company consolidates technology and AI teams. Walmart Lays Off or Relocates About 1,000 Corporate Workers
• Neutral Sentiment: Other coverage this week noted pressure on Walmart’s margins from its grocery-heavy sales mix, although e-commerce, advertising and efficiency gains are helping offset some of that pressure. Walmart’s Category Mix Pressures Margins: More Pain Ahead?
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart also faces a new higher minimum wage requirement in parts of California, which could add labor cost pressure if passed through broadly across stores. Walmart braces for new $18 California law

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on WMT shares. Argus upgraded shares of Walmart to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $140.00 price objective (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. DA Davidson set a $150.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $130.00 price target (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.67.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total value of $1,214,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 108,294 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,153,389.24. This trade represents a 8.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.71, for a total transaction of $2,460,201.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,023,209 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $509,780,812.39. This represents a 0.48% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 167,195 shares of company stock worth $20,975,804. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Walmart Trading Up 2.2%

Walmart stock opened at $130.35 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $126.12 and a 200 day moving average price of $118.70. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $91.89 and a 52 week high of $134.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.04 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.57, a P/E/G ratio of 4.75 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.66 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.13%.

About Walmart

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.