1,094,543 Shares in Walmart Inc. $WMT Bought by Rakuten Investment Management Inc.

Key Points

• Rakuten Investment Management bought 1.09 million Walmart shares worth approximately $125.4 million in the second quarter, making Walmart its 17th-largest holding. Other institutional investors also increased their positions, with institutions owning 26.76% of Walmart.
• Walmart exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting adjusted EPS of $0.81 versus the $0.74 consensus and revenue of $187.94 billion, up 5.9% year over year. U.S. marketplace sales surged 52%, supporting the company’s e-commerce growth.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and average price target of $131.88, although several firms lowered their targets and Erste Group reduced its fiscal 2027 EPS estimates. Walmart insiders sold 77,292 shares worth $8.4 million over the past 90 days.

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 1,094,543 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $125,435,000. Walmart makes up about 0.4% of Rakuten Investment Management Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bell & Brown Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $6,451,000. Advisortrust Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 20.2% in the first quarter. Advisortrust Partners LLC now owns 67,142 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,344,000 after buying an additional 11,283 shares during the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA raised its holdings in Walmart by 253.3% in the first quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 384,034 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $47,728,000 after acquiring an additional 275,337 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 2.9% in the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 2,416,580 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $300,333,000 after acquiring an additional 68,632 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. boosted its stake in Walmart by 42.1% during the 4th quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 275,341 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $30,676,000 after acquiring an additional 81,635 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total transaction of $413,891.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares in the company, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. This represents a 0.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, 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 the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly 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 ninety days, insiders have sold 77,292 shares of company stock valued at $8,421,143. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Walmart Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $104.87 on Tuesday. The company's fifty day moving average is $111.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $120.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $95.79 and a 1-year high of $135.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $834.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.61.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.68 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue 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. Equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current year.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart agreed to pay $50 million to settle U.S. Justice Department allegations involving improperly filled opioid prescriptions. Although the settlement carries a financial cost and reputational risk, it is viewed favorably because it resolves litigation that had exposed the company to potentially billions of dollars in civil penalties. Walmart described the payment as immaterial. Walmart escapes major legal penalty for a fraction of the cost
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s U.S. marketplace sales increased 52%, supported by a broader product selection, greater use of fulfillment services and international expansion in Mexico and Canada. Sustaining this momentum could improve e-commerce growth and marketplace profitability. Walmart's Marketplace Momentum Builds
• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial reaffirmed its buy rating and set a $155 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. This reflects confidence in Walmart’s long-term earnings and growth prospects. Benzinga analyst rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary highlights Walmart’s 53-year record of dividend increases and notes that the stock is well below its peak. However, its dividend yield remains relatively low and its valuation is still elevated compared with the broader market. Walmart dividend analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group Bank lowered its fiscal 2027 EPS estimates, signaling expectations for slower earnings growth or increased cost pressure. Walmart’s recent earnings-related share-price weakness also indicates that investors remain sensitive to the company’s premium valuation. FY2027 EPS Estimates for Walmart Cut

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on WMT. Truist Financial set a $114.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Evercore set a $125.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. UBS Group decreased their price target on Walmart from $141.00 to $130.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Citigroup cut their price objective on Walmart from $147.00 to $132.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $131.88.

Walmart Company 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.

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