Monarch Capital Management Inc. Has $14.66 Million Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Monarch Capital Management Inc. trimmed its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 6.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 117,777 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 8,158 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up 3.6% of Monarch Capital Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. Monarch Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $14,663,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 4,304,436 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.2% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $19,046,104,000 after acquiring an additional 2,242,364 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Walmart by 6.8% during 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. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $6,458,529,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,526,238,000 after acquiring an additional 328,229 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $117.18 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $94.23 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $124.37 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $122.15. The company has a market cap of $932.53 billion, a PE ratio of 41.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.37 and a beta of 0.60.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.61 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart announced a nationwide effort with Sam’s Club to help Medicare beneficiaries understand new prescription drug coverage options tied to weight management and chronic care, reinforcing its healthcare and pharmacy services strategy.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is integrating Walmart Connect and Sam’s Club advertising operations into one framework, a move that signals continued growth and better monetization of its ad business.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted improving Walmart International sales, supported by store gains, e-commerce growth, marketplace expansion, and faster fulfillment, suggesting momentum in a key segment.
• Neutral Sentiment: EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares at an average price of $118.19 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan; the sale was small relative to his holdings and is typically viewed as routine insider activity.
• Negative Sentiment: California consumers filed a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging Walmart and other retailers used an AI pricing tool to illegally raise gas prices, creating potential legal, regulatory, and reputational risk.
• Negative Sentiment: Reuters reported Walmart was among gas-station operators sued over allegations of AI-driven pump-price inflation in California, adding another legal headline that could pressure sentiment.
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart also faces scrutiny in China, where regulators ordered Sam’s Club to strengthen food-safety controls and supply-chain inspections, adding operational pressure in an important international market.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on WMT shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Truist Financial set a $140.00 price objective on Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 21st. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, March 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $138.85.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total value of $2,303,320.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,174,579 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $495,230,306.77. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 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 on 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% 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. In the last three months, insiders have sold 120,146 shares of company stock worth $14,835,898. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart Company 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.