Meiji Yasuda America Inc Sells 14,309 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Meiji Yasuda America Inc cut its Walmart stake by 18.6% in the first quarter, selling 14,309 shares and leaving it with 62,815 shares valued at about $7.8 million.
• Walmart’s latest earnings beat expectations on revenue and matched EPS estimates, with $177.75 billion in quarterly sales and revenue up 7.4% year over year. The company also reiterated forward guidance for FY2027 and Q2 2027.
• Wall Street remains broadly upbeat on Walmart, with analysts giving it a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $138.85, even as some insiders and institutions have trimmed holdings.

Meiji Yasuda America Inc decreased its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 18.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 62,815 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 14,309 shares during the period. Walmart makes up approximately 1.9% of Meiji Yasuda America Inc's holdings, making the stock its 13th largest holding. Meiji Yasuda America Inc's holdings in Walmart were worth $7,807,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Walmart by 57.4% in the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 193.0% in the fourth quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on WMT. Guggenheim increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price objective on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 22nd. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.85.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $110.39 on Wednesday. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $95.29 and a 12-month high of $135.15. The firm has a market cap of $878.49 billion, a PE ratio of 38.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.18 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $118.11 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $122.11.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.61 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 EPS for the current year.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is still attracting new brands to its platform, with candy maker Final Boss Sour raising funding and securing shelf space at the retailer. That supports Walmart’s marketplace growth strategy and could help improve traffic and monetization over time. Walmart (WMT) Faces A Fresh Valuation Test As New Brands Join Its Platform
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted a rebound in Walmart’s general merchandise business, including fashion, hardlines, private brands, and marketplace growth, which could lift margins if the trend continues. Can Walmart's General Merchandise Revival Unlock Higher Margins?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart was mentioned in broader ecommerce-stock watch lists, which is not a direct catalyst but suggests continued investor attention on the retail and online commerce space. Top Ecommerce Stocks To Watch Now - July 18th
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market headlines about renewed U.S.-Iran tensions and potential energy-price pressure may be weighing on consumer sentiment and creating a modest headwind for Walmart’s near-term trading. As the U.S.-Iran war heats up again, these parts of the stock market and economy could be affected
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart pulled certain lettuce items amid cyclosporiasis-linked recalls, which can create short-term reputational and operational concerns for the grocer. Walmart pulls lettuce items amid cyclosporiasis-linked recalls
• Negative Sentiment: The stock also faces valuation pressure, with recent commentary noting that Walmart’s share performance has lagged and that investors are reassessing how much growth is already priced in. Walmart (WMT) Faces A Fresh Valuation Test As New Brands Join Its Platform

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at $14,300,550.91. This trade represents a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 87,145 shares of company stock worth $10,691,920 over the last quarter. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.

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