Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Sold by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company

Key Points

• The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company reduced its Walmart stake by 12% in the first quarter, selling 615,704 shares and retaining 4.50 million shares valued at approximately $559.2 million.
• Walmart’s latest quarterly results showed 7.4% year-over-year revenue growth to $177.75 billion, exceeding estimates, while EPS of $0.66 matched consensus. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $138.65.
• Walmart shares opened at $111.74, with a market capitalization of roughly $889 billion; although the stock has recently gained, its elevated valuation—including a P/E ratio of 39.21—creates risk if growth or margins disappoint.

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company cut its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 12.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,499,366 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 615,704 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned approximately 0.06% of Walmart worth $559,181,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the first quarter worth $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Walmart by 57.4% during the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 193.0% during the fourth quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sankala Group LLC bought a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Trading Up 2.1%

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $111.74 on Tuesday. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $116.31 and its 200 day moving average price is $122.02. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $95.42 and a 52 week high of $135.15. The company has a market capitalization of $889.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.21, a P/E/G ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.61 EPS. Walmart'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, research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Market momentum and investor interest: Walmart outperformed the broader market during the latest session, providing a near-term boost to the stock. Walmart Beats Stock Market Upswing: What Investors Need to Know
• Positive Sentiment: Higher-income customer gains: Walmart is attracting more affluent shoppers through low prices, faster delivery and a broader product assortment. Sustaining this customer mix could support sales growth and improve the company’s competitive position. Can Walmart Sustain Gains Among Higher-Income Customers?
• Positive Sentiment: AI and efficiency potential: Walmart is using artificial intelligence behind the scenes to improve efficiency and reduce costs rather than selling AI products directly. Recent earnings strength and favorable analyst ratings add support to the investment case. These 3 AI Winners Don’t Sell the Tech—They Use It
• Positive Sentiment: Scale and supply-chain initiatives: Walmart, General Mills and ADM launched a regenerative agriculture program covering 40,000 Midwest wheat acres. While not an immediate earnings driver, the effort could strengthen Walmart’s supply-chain relationships and support its sustainability reputation. Walmart Launches Regenerative Agriculture Effort
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent fundamentals: Walmart’s latest quarterly revenue exceeded expectations, while earnings per share met consensus estimates. Revenue growth and the company’s scale remain supportive, although the stock’s elevated valuation makes continued execution important.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation risk: Commentary warns that Walmart trades at a premium relative to projected forward earnings. Its scale provides a durable cost advantage, but the rich valuation leaves less room for disappointing growth or margins. Walmart Is at $108: Why Investors Should Pause

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on WMT. Tigress Financial restated a "buy" rating and issued a $155.00 price target (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Evercore restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, May 18th. BNP Paribas Exane cut their price target 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. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $138.65.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total value of $2,303,320.08. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,174,579 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $495,230,306.77. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,300,550.91. This represents a 8.38% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 67,729 shares of company stock valued at $8,124,931. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate 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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