SBI Okasan Asset Management Co.Ltd. Makes New Investment in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• SBI Okasan Asset Management opened a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter, buying 15,000 shares valued at about $1.69 million.
• Walmart’s latest quarterly results beat revenue expectations, reporting $177.75 billion in sales and matching EPS estimates at $0.66. Revenue rose 7.4% year over year, and the company reaffirmed upbeat forward guidance.
• Analysts remain generally positive on the stock, with several firms raising or reiterating buy ratings, while Walmart insiders have also been selling shares in recent months, including CEO John R. Furner and EVP John D. Rainey.

SBI Okasan Asset Management Co.Ltd. bought a new position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 15,000 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,688,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $118.90 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $947.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.72, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.65. The company's fifty day moving average is $126.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $120.64. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $93.43 and a 52-week high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.61 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast 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: TD Cowen raised its price target on Walmart to $150 from $145 and kept a Buy rating, citing continued strength in grocery traffic and resilient demand. TD Cowen Boosts Target on Walmart (WMT) Amid Strong Grocery Traffic
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s Sam’s Club business said its Member’s Mark community has grown to more than 150,000 participants, reinforcing customer engagement and supporting private-label product development. Sam’s Club's Member's Mark™ Community Surges to Over 150000 Participants
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary from Jim Cramer and other bullish coverage continues to frame Walmart as a defensive winner, with investors seeing the recent weakness as a potential buying opportunity. Jim Cramer Reveals Why He’d Buy Walmart (WMT)
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage comparing Walmart with Target and other retailers highlighted Walmart’s 26% global e-commerce growth and improving higher-margin businesses, but it was more of an industry comparison than a direct catalyst. Target vs. Walmart: Which Retail Stock Is the Better Buy After Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports that Walmart may be preparing for price increases and navigating tariff-related inflation pressures point to ongoing margin management, but the impact is uncertain. Walmart signals potential price increases as food producers focus on margins (WMT)
• Negative Sentiment: Several pieces focused on slower consumer spending, delayed discretionary purchases, and Walmart’s stock trading well below recent highs, which may be weighing on sentiment despite the company’s defensive profile. Amazon and Walmart Turn to Platform Economics as Consumer Spending Slows
• Negative Sentiment: Short-interest-related reporting and “in the red zone” commentary suggest some traders remain cautious on Walmart in the near term, even though the short-interest data itself appears inconsistent. Walmart tries cost-cutting supply chain model as stock stays in red zone

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.08, for a total transaction of $1,628,550.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 661,037 shares in the company, valued at approximately $82,021,470.96. The trade was a 1.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. This trade represents a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 106,592 shares of company stock worth $13,436,513. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on WMT. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Walmart from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $150.00 target price (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 target price (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Roth Mkm reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $138.71.

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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