Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co Buys 92,900 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co lifted its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 15.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 711,366 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 92,900 shares during the period. Walmart comprises about 0.5% of Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co’s holdings, making the stock its 27th largest position. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co’s holdings in Walmart were worth $73,313,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 212.6% during the 3rd quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 322 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 price target (up from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $129.00 price objective (up previously from $122.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, January 5th. BTIG Research lifted their target price on Walmart from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $125.00 price target (up from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $121.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Thirty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $127.19.

Walmart Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of WMT stock opened at $128.77 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.03 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.02, a PEG ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 0.65. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $117.36 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $107.82. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $79.81 and a 1 year high of $131.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.24.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.02. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.31% and a net margin of 3.26%.The company had revenue of $179.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $175.15 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.58 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.83, for a total value of $2,171,291.28. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,315,333 shares in the company, valued at $482,583,689.39. This represents a 0.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.75, for a total transaction of $1,374,843.75. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 879,815 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $92,160,621.25. This trade represents a 1.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 229,196 shares of company stock valued at $26,957,858 in the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raising targets and upgrades — Oppenheimer and other firms have lifted price targets and reiterated Outperform/Buy ratings ahead of Walmart’s Q4 print, supporting momentum and investor confidence. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying — Fisher Asset Management increased its stake, signaling conviction from a large money manager that can boost demand for the stock. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings cadence and expectations — Walmart scheduled its Q4 earnings call for Feb. 19; markets are watching for a possible beat and forward commentary after the company recently topped EPS and set FY2026 guidance. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Operational initiatives and store rollout — Next‑gen Jacksonville Supercenter and omnichannel tests reinforce Walmart’s long‑term growth/efficiency thesis that analysts cite when valuing the company at premium multiples. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/retail data mixed — December retail sales came in flat, a potential headwind for discretionary categories, but Walmart is often viewed as a beneficiary of “trade‑down” behavior when consumers seek value. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive landscape — Kroger’s leadership change (Greg Foran) sharpens competition in grocery; it’s a strategic risk over time but not an immediate earnings shock. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Major lawsuit from Estée Lauder alleging counterfeit products sold via Walmart’s marketplace — this brings legal, reputational and regulatory risk and could trigger increased compliance costs or marketplace restrictions if proven. Investors are watching how Walmart responds and whether third‑party seller controls will be tightened. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Marketplace scrutiny and investor nervousness — coverage notes the suit also tests marketplace controls and investor sentiment; increased regulatory scrutiny or larger-than-expected damages would be a material negative. Read More.

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.