Korea Investment CORP Purchases 139,138 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Korea Investment CORP raised its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 3.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,733,453 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 139,138 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for 0.8% of Korea Investment CORP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Korea Investment CORP’s holdings in Walmart were worth $415,944,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. Norges Bank bought a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 188.1% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,199,907,000 after purchasing an additional 7,614,172 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares during the period. Capital International Investors bought a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $592,848,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Walmart by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $49,015,626,000 after purchasing an additional 4,304,436 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total value of $359,368.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 577,853 shares in the company, valued at approximately $71,607,543.76. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 128,986 shares of company stock valued at $15,927,908. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on WMT. Tigress Financial reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $155.00 price target (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $138.85.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $121.04 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $963.25 billion, a PE ratio of 42.47, a PEG ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.59. The company’s fifty day moving average is $125.28 and its 200 day moving average is $121.66. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $93.62 and a 52 week high of $135.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The firm’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.61 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

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.