The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Purchases Shares of 4,132,839 Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired 4.13 million Walmart shares worth approximately $468.1 million during the second quarter, representing a 0.05% stake. Institutional investors collectively own 26.76% of Walmart.
• Walmart reported strong quarterly results, with revenue up 5.9% year over year to $187.94 billion and EPS of $0.81, exceeding analyst expectations. Global e-commerce grew 23% and advertising revenue rose 38%.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $131.88, although the stock’s elevated P/E ratio and slower core sales growth remain valuation and consumer-demand concerns.

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 4,132,839 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $468,086,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned 0.05% of Walmart at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. MFA Wealth Services grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.7% in the first quarter. MFA Wealth Services now owns 10,909 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,356,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Realta Investment Advisors raised its position in Walmart by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Realta Investment Advisors now owns 4,089 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $508,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Compton Financial Group LLC raised its position in Walmart by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. Compton Financial Group LLC now owns 2,081 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $259,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Group LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 9,636 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,074,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the period. Finally, Calton & Associates Inc. lifted its holdings in Walmart by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,033,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s fiscal second-quarter results showed continued momentum beyond traditional store sales: revenue reached approximately $187.9 billion, global e-commerce grew 23%, and advertising revenue increased 38%. These higher-growth businesses could support future margins and cash flow. Walmart Growth Engine Hums
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary continue to point to Walmart’s expanding e-commerce, digital advertising, memberships, convenience-led fulfillment, automation and AI initiatives as reasons the recent decline could represent a long-term buying opportunity. Walmart’s scale and value-focused pricing remain important competitive advantages. Walmart Continues to Grow Beyond Retail
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart settled a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit alleging that its pharmacies unlawfully contributed to the opioid epidemic. Resolving the case removes an overhang and reduces legal uncertainty, although the financial terms and any broader implications remain important for investors. Walmart Settles U.S. Opioid Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights a potentially tougher consumer environment. Walmart’s comparable sales growth was 3.4% excluding pharmacy-related items, while middle-income shoppers appear increasingly focused on necessities and limiting discretionary purchases. Walmart and Home Depot Results
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also questioning whether Walmart’s valuation adequately reflects its strong performance. A high earnings multiple, slower core sales growth and the stock’s position below its moving averages have amplified the impact of the recent selloff. Walmart Selloff Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares worth approximately $5.3 million. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover taxes on vested equity awards, making it a weaker bearish signal than discretionary insider selling. Walmart Insider Trading Filing

Walmart Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $103.09 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $95.79 and a 1 year high of $135.15. 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 firm has a 50-day moving average of $111.90 and a 200 day moving average of $120.45. The stock has a market cap of $820.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.90 and a beta of 0.61.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 company earned $0.68 earnings per share. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on WMT shares. BTIG Research reduced their target price on Walmart from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 21st. KeyCorp reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded shares of Walmart to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $131.88.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,710 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.10, for a total transaction of $419,601.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 626,299 shares in the company, valued at approximately $70,834,416.90. The trade was a 0.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total value of $308,386.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at $60,523,730.02. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 77,292 shares of company stock valued at $8,421,143. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Walmart

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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