SBI Okasan Asset Management Co.Ltd. Takes $1.69 Million Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

SBI Okasan Asset Management Co.Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund bought 15,000 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,688,000.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in WMT. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Walmart by 1.0% during 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 last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in Walmart by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $19,046,104,000 after purchasing an additional 2,242,364 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings 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 last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 328,229 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc lifted its holdings in Walmart by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 27,268,463 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,810,288,000 after purchasing an additional 934,468 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $118.90 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $93.43 and a 1-year high of $135.15. The company has a market cap of $947.75 billion, a PE ratio of 41.72, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The company has a 50-day moving average of $126.24 and a two-hundred day moving average of $120.64.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the subject of several analyst reports. Erste Group Bank raised shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Argus raised shares of Walmart to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price target on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, April 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.71.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target on Walmart to $150 from $145 and kept a Buy rating, citing continued strength in grocery traffic and resilient demand. TD Cowen Boosts Target on Walmart (WMT) Amid Strong Grocery Traffic
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s Sam’s Club business said its Member’s Mark community has grown to more than 150,000 participants, reinforcing customer engagement and supporting private-label product development. Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark™ Community Surges to Over 150000 Participants
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary from Jim Cramer and other bullish coverage continues to frame Walmart as a defensive winner, with investors seeing the recent weakness as a potential buying opportunity. Jim Cramer Reveals Why He’d Buy Walmart (WMT)
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage comparing Walmart with Target and other retailers highlighted Walmart’s 26% global e-commerce growth and improving higher-margin businesses, but it was more of an industry comparison than a direct catalyst. Target vs. Walmart: Which Retail Stock Is the Better Buy After Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports that Walmart may be preparing for price increases and navigating tariff-related inflation pressures point to ongoing margin management, but the impact is uncertain. Walmart signals potential price increases as food producers focus on margins (WMT)
• Negative Sentiment: Several pieces focused on slower consumer spending, delayed discretionary purchases, and Walmart’s stock trading well below recent highs, which may be weighing on sentiment despite the company’s defensive profile. Amazon and Walmart Turn to Platform Economics as Consumer Spending Slows
• Negative Sentiment: Short-interest-related reporting and “in the red zone” commentary suggest some traders remain cautious on Walmart in the near term, even though the short-interest data itself appears inconsistent. Walmart tries cost-cutting supply chain model as stock stays in red zone

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.21, for a total transaction of $2,566,989.36. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,193,995 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $554,488,078.95. The trade was a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.08, for a total transaction of $1,628,550.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 661,037 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $82,021,470.96. This trade represents a 1.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 106,592 shares of company stock valued at $13,436,513 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.