The family behind the supermarket giant has shifted some of its stock into a different holding entity, which might point the way to share disposals down the line, the report said.

The family behind the Walmart supermarket chain has moved $48 billion of company stock to a different holding company, a report said, possibly flagging future share sales as well as building up more philanthropy funds. 

A report in Bloomberg said that Walton Enterprises, which is the main investment entity of the family, put about 15 per cent of Walmart’s outstanding shares to the Walton Family Holdings Trust. The report cited regulatory filings that it has seen. 

Walton Enterprises is the family office of the Walton clan and, as such, one of the largest of its kind in the world. 

The family owns around half of the retailer’s outstanding shares.

Such a move by the renowned business dynasty also throws light on the sheer financial firepower that family offices wielded by such dynasties possess, and why banks, technology firms and other players are so keen to court their business, such as with outsourced chief investment officer services, back-office support, asset custody and help with threats such as cybercrime.