China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. Trims Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. lessened its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 54.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 15,048 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 17,665 shares during the quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $1,471,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. PFS Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 267.8% in the 2nd quarter. PFS Partners LLC now owns 320 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 233 shares during the period. Ridgewood Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 55.3% in the 2nd quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC now owns 323 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the period. Livelsberger Financial Advisory purchased a new stake in Walmart during the second quarter worth $44,000. Finally, Harbor Asset Planning Inc. acquired a new stake in Walmart during the second quarter valued at $46,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $116.70 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $930.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.80, a PEG ratio of 5.40 and a beta of 0.64. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $106.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $101.52. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $79.81 and a 12 month high of $116.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.24.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.02. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.31% and a net margin of 3.26%.The firm had revenue of $179.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $175.15 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.58 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have weighed in on WMT. UBS Group set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. DA Davidson set a $130.00 price target on Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Walmart from $109.00 to $119.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Walmart from $110.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Thirty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $119.31.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.23, for a total transaction of $244,706.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 617,318 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $68,664,281.14. This represents a 0.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.75, for a total transaction of $1,374,843.75. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 879,815 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $92,160,621.25. The trade was a 1.47% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 126,403 shares of company stock valued at $13,386,774. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Walmart Company Profile

Walmart Inc engages in the operation of retail, wholesale, other units, and eCommerce worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club. It operates supercenters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, cash and carry stores, and discount stores under Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands; membership-only warehouse clubs; ecommerce websites, such as walmart.com.mx, walmart.ca, flipkart.com, PhonePe and other sites; and mobile commerce applications.