J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG Increases Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG boosted its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 4.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 368,004 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 17,059 shares during the quarter. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG’s holdings in Walmart were worth $45,677,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA raised its holdings in Walmart by 253.3% in the 1st quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 384,034 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $47,728,000 after acquiring an additional 275,337 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 2.9% during the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 2,416,580 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $300,333,000 after purchasing an additional 68,632 shares during the last quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 42.1% during the 4th quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 275,341 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $30,676,000 after purchasing an additional 81,635 shares during the last quarter. Life Cycle Investment Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,855,000. Finally, Winning Points Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,761,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $114.78 on Tuesday. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $94.38 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $120.14 and a 200 day moving average price of $122.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $913.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.27, a PEG ratio of 4.25 and a beta of 0.60.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.61 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly 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. Equities research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Truist Financial set a $140.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 18th. Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.85.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary are emphasizing Walmart’s defensive profile versus peers, arguing that WMT offers strong recession-resistant exposure and an edge in AI integration and automation. Walmart Vs. Costco: Buy Walmart Over Costco for Defensive Coverage and AI Integration Superiority
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage says Walmart+ is helping drive recurring revenue, record membership additions, and stronger digital engagement, supported by faster delivery and broader omnichannel growth. Can Walmart+ Membership Keep WMT’s Growth Momentum Alive?
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple articles frame WMT as a stock investors are watching closely, with one note highlighting that the shares have recently moved higher and asking whether they remain attractive to buy. Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Shares Up 1.5% – Time to Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Options-market activity suggests traders are positioning for a larger move in Walmart, but the headline does not specify direction, so the near-term impact is uncertain. Are Options Traders Betting on a Big Move in Walmart Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Other articles mainly compare Walmart with peers or note that it is trending among investors, which adds visibility but does not point to a clear catalyst on its own. JSAIY or WMT: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total transaction of $342,751.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 574,953 shares in the company, valued at $67,953,695.07. This trade represents a 0.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. This represents a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 104,505 shares of company stock worth $12,858,514. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.