Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. Purchases Shares of 139,817 Walmart Inc. $WMT

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 139,817 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $15,836,000. Walmart makes up about 0.7% of Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest holding.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bell & Brown Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the second quarter valued at approximately $6,451,000. Advisortrust Partners LLC raised its position in Walmart by 20.2% in the 1st quarter. Advisortrust Partners LLC now owns 67,142 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,344,000 after buying an additional 11,283 shares during the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA raised its position in Walmart by 253.3% in the 1st quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 384,034 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $47,728,000 after buying an additional 275,337 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 2.9% during the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 2,416,580 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $300,333,000 after acquiring an additional 68,632 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. lifted its stake in Walmart by 42.1% during the 4th quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 275,341 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $30,676,000 after acquiring an additional 81,635 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart reported fiscal Q2 2027 revenue of approximately $187.9 billion, while global e-commerce increased 23% and advertising revenue surged 38%. The results highlight continued momentum in digital retail and higher-margin businesses. Walmart Q2 2027 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts and commentators view the selloff as a potential buying opportunity, arguing that Walmart’s e-commerce, advertising, automation and AI-assisted shopping initiatives can support long-term cash-flow growth. Walmart’s Big Sell-Off Could Be a Buying Opportunity
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts cited in recent coverage put Walmart’s consensus price target at $138.50, substantially above the current trading range, while unusually heavy call-option activity suggests some traders are positioning for a rebound. Walmart Consensus Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart and Sam’s Club raised more than $39 million for the Children’s Miracle Network. The announcement supports the company’s community reputation but is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings or valuation. Walmart and Sam’s Club Children’s Miracle Network Support
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary says the stock’s recent selloff reflects investor concern that Walmart may be fully valued after a roughly 127% five-year gain. Slower store-sales growth and a high earnings multiple could limit further upside even if digital businesses remain strong. Walmart Stock Looks Fully Priced
• Negative Sentiment: An executive vice president sold 50,644 shares worth about $5.3 million. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards, reducing its negative signaling value but still adding to investor focus on insider selling. Walmart Insider Trading Filing

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was 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 directly owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total value of $5,335,345.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 201,672 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,246,145.20. The trade was a 20.07% 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. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold a total of 77,292 shares of company stock valued at $8,421,143 over the last 90 days. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $120.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Evercore set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $126.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.88.

Walmart Price Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $102.63 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The company has a market cap of $816.74 billion, a PE ratio of 37.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.61. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $95.70 and a 52 week high of $135.15. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $112.18 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $120.57.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.68 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

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.