Groupe la Francaise Buys 21,059 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Groupe la Francaise boosted its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 3.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 651,544 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 21,059 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up approximately 0.9% of Groupe la Francaise’s holdings, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Groupe la Francaise’s holdings in Walmart were worth $73,240,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the first quarter valued at $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the second quarter worth about $32,000. Sankala Group LLC bought a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. acquired a new position in Walmart during the 1st quarter valued at about $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total value of $5,335,345.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 201,672 shares in the company, valued at $21,246,145.20. This represents a 20.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, EVP David Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 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 position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 81,242 shares of company stock valued at $8,836,446 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

Walmart stock opened at $107.14 on Monday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $110.81 and its 200 day simple moving average is $119.52. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $98.88 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $850.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.68, a PEG ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.68 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current year.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Dunkin’ delivery expands Walmart’s digital ecosystem. Walmart’s partnership with Dunkin’ adds restaurant delivery to its three-month-old service, broadening convenience offerings and giving the retailer another opportunity to increase customer engagement, order frequency and delivery revenue while competing with DoorDash and Uber Eats. Walmart Shoppers Can Now Get Dunkin’ Delivered
• Positive Sentiment: Fraud prevention could become an additional retail technology opportunity. Walmart’s work with Amazon on fraud prevention highlights its efforts to protect shoppers and potentially develop technology and services that improve trust, retention and the economics of digital commerce. Amazon and Walmart Turn Fraud Prevention Into a Retail Product
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail comparisons show Walmart remains a key consumer bellwether. Recent large-format retailer results point to a divided, or “K-shaped,” consumer economy: higher-income shoppers continue spending in some discretionary categories, while value-focused consumers face pressure from elevated grocery costs. This creates both traffic opportunities and potential margin challenges for Walmart. Retail Earnings Expose a Bigger Divide in the U.S. Consumer Economy
• Neutral Sentiment: Haleon’s improved shelf placement reinforces Walmart’s importance to suppliers. Better positioning for Haleon brands such as Sensodyne may support product visibility and sales, though the report primarily benefits Haleon and does not materially change Walmart’s financial outlook. Haleon Secures Better Shelf Space at Walmart
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff and margin concerns are weighing on the investment case. Mixed retail results suggest Walmart may face pressure balancing value pricing with higher product costs, while its elevated earnings multiple leaves less room for execution disappointments.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory scrutiny adds an overhang. The Department of Justice’s investigation into rising beef prices has expanded to Walmart and other retailers. No wrongdoing has been established, but the inquiry creates potential legal, reputational and compliance risks.
• Neutral Sentiment: An executive share sale was limited and prearranged. EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,950 shares worth approximately $415,000 under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, reducing his direct holdings by only 0.63%; the transaction is therefore a weak trading signal. Daniel Bartlett Sells Walmart Shares

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on WMT shares. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Walmart from $137.00 to $131.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 21st. Oppenheimer reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $115.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.88.

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.