96,073 Shares in Walmart Inc. $WMT Bought by Iyo Bank Ltd.

Iyo Bank Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 96,073 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $10,881,000. Walmart makes up about 3.3% of Iyo Bank Ltd.’s portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest holding.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Walmart by 57.4% during the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC acquired a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $104.34 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The company has a market capitalization of $830.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.67, a P/E/G ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.61. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $95.60 and a 12-month high of $135.15. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $112.47 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $120.78.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $186.64 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.68 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total transaction of $308,386.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at $60,523,730.02. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at 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 Walmart stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 26,648 shares of company stock worth $3,085,798 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Freedom Capital raised Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $125.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Tigress Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 price target (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $115.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $131.88.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to project upside for WMT, with reports citing consensus price targets of $138.50 and $128.43—well above recent trading levels. Large call-option purchases also suggest some traders are positioning for a rebound. Walmart consensus price target Walmart call options activity
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s digital sales, automation and AI initiatives remain key parts of the growth story. Its Sparky shopping assistant has reportedly produced customer baskets about 40% larger than those of customers shopping without the tool, while Walmart is also exploring advertising and technology opportunities with OpenAI and ChatGPT. Walmart Sparky AI assistant
• Positive Sentiment: The new Scenario women’s fashion brand, with most items priced below $25, could help Walmart attract younger shoppers and expand its apparel business. The company is also increasing rapid-delivery capabilities through Flipkart in India. Walmart launches Scenario fashion brand
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are comparing Walmart’s digital and business-mix expansion with MercadoLibre’s broader ecosystem growth, highlighting Walmart’s improving online opportunity but also the high expectations embedded in its valuation. Walmart versus MercadoLibre growth comparison
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s U.S. comparable sales rose 2.6%, below the 3.8% analyst estimate and representing the company’s slowest comparable-sales growth in roughly six years. Higher gasoline prices and broader economic pressure may be making consumers more cautious. Walmart comparable-sales miss
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a concern after Walmart’s substantial five-year gain. Analysts note that the stock trades at a premium relative to peers despite slower store-sales momentum, while Amazon continues to take share of U.S. clothing spending from Walmart. Walmart valuation concerns Amazon clothing share versus Walmart

About Walmart

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.