Daiichi Life Insurance Co. Ltd. Invests $43.99 Million in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Daiichi Life Insurance Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 388,444 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $43,995,000. Walmart accounts for about 1.0% of Daiichi Life Insurance Co. Ltd.’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MFA Wealth Services lifted its position in Walmart by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. MFA Wealth Services now owns 10,909 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,356,000 after buying an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Realta Investment Advisors grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Realta Investment Advisors now owns 4,089 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $508,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Compton Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. Compton Financial Group LLC now owns 2,081 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $259,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 9,636 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,074,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Calton & Associates Inc. increased its position in shares of Walmart by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,033,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Down 1.0%

WMT stock opened at $104.34 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $830.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.67, a PEG ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.61. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $112.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $120.78. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $95.60 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total transaction of $308,386.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 569,153 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $60,523,730.02. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through 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 stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 quarter, insiders have sold 26,648 shares of company stock valued at $3,085,798. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Walmart News

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on WMT shares. UBS Group lowered their price target on Walmart from $141.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $130.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Guggenheim set a $130.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Roth Capital restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Truist Financial set a $114.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $131.88.

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.