Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Sold by Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd

Key Points

• Dai ichi Life Insurance reduced its Walmart stake by 11.5% in the first quarter, selling 45,644 shares and leaving it with 351,064 shares worth about $43.6 million.
• Walmart reported Q1 EPS of $0.66, in line with analyst expectations, while revenue came in at $177.75 billion, topping estimates and rising 7.4% year over year.
• Several analysts remain positive on the stock, with the consensus rating at Moderate Buy and an average price target of about $138.85, even as some insiders have recently sold shares.

Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd cut its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 11.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 351,064 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 45,644 shares during the quarter. Walmart comprises approximately 1.3% of Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd's portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd's holdings in Walmart were worth $43,630,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Walmart Trading Up 1.0%

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $109.47 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $116.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $121.97. The company has a market capitalization of $871.17 billion, a PE ratio of 38.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.04 and a beta of 0.60. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $95.42 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.61 EPS. The firm'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. On average, equities research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total transaction of $342,751.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 574,953 shares in the company, valued at $67,953,695.07. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their position. 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. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 67,729 shares of company stock worth $8,124,931. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane cut their price objective on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $150.00 target price (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, July 17th. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, UBS Group set a $141.00 price objective on Walmart and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $138.85.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reportedly reaffirmed an Outperform rating on Walmart, a supportive signal that may help bolster investor confidence. Walmart NASDAQ: WMT Earns Outperform Rating from Royal Bank Of Canada
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart was highlighted as a wide-moat, sustainable growth stock, reinforcing the view that it can keep delivering steady results even in choppy markets. Top Wide-Moat Stocks to Invest in for Sustainable Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart partnered with ReturnPro to refurbish and resell returned products, which could improve e-commerce efficiency and reduce losses from returns. Walmart (WMT) Partners With ReturnPro To Resell Returned Products
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage suggesting Walmart may be a solid growth stock could keep investors focused on its durable financial performance and scale advantages. Is Walmart (WMT) a Solid Growth Stock? 3 Reasons to Think "Yes"
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are closely watching Walmart ahead of earnings, with previews focusing on what the company may report rather than providing a fresh catalyst by themselves. Walmart's quarterly earnings preview: What you need to know
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart being one of Zacks’ most-searched stocks indicates strong investor interest, but not necessarily a direct fundamental driver. Investors Heavily Search Walmart Inc. (WMT): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles discussing Walmart’s dividend profile may appeal to income investors, but they are unlikely to move the stock on their own. Does Walmart pay dividends? Its yield & payouts explained
• Negative Sentiment: One article noted Walmart’s extended share-price weakness and suggested the stock could be in a comeback setup, reflecting lingering concern after a recent downtrend. Walmart stock’s extended downturn could trigger a possible comeback
• Negative Sentiment: A bearish comparison piece argued investors might prefer another stock over WMT, citing weaker recent share performance and softer quarterly results. 3 Reasons to Sell WMT and 1 Stock to Buy Instead

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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