Rakuten Investment Management Inc. Purchases 570,168 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 8,527.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 576,854 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 570,168 shares during the period. Walmart makes up 0.2% of Rakuten Investment Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Rakuten Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $64,913,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Renaissance Group LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 9,636 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,074,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the period. Calton & Associates Inc. boosted its holdings in Walmart by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,033,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the period. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,392 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $378,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the period. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Walmart by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,561 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $285,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. Finally, Capstone Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,955 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $552,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total value of $2,303,320.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,174,579 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $495,230,306.77. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at 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 stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total transaction of $359,368.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 577,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $71,607,543.76. This trade represents a 0.50% 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 three months, insiders have sold 128,986 shares of company stock valued at $15,927,908. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Up 0.2%

NASDAQ WMT opened at $121.03 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $125.09 and a 200 day simple moving average of $121.96. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $93.62 and a twelve month high of $135.15. The stock has a market cap of $963.17 billion, a PE ratio of 42.47, a PEG ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 0.59.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share 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 analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.61 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. 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 year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on WMT. Roth Mkm restated a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Truist Financial set a $140.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $137.00 target price (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane reduced their target price on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $138.85.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s advertising business is reportedly surging as marketplace activity, seller spending, and digital engagement boost retail media revenue, reinforcing a fast-growing higher-margin profit stream. Walmart’s Advertising Revenues Soar: Is Retail Media Paying Off?
• Positive Sentiment: New delivery options, including Subway meals through Walmart delivery, suggest the company is continuing to expand convenience offerings and deepen customer engagement. Walmart Inc (WMT) Adds Subway Meals Delivery. Get the Bigger Picture
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart was highlighted among the best S&P 500 stocks to buy now according to analysts, signaling continued confidence in its defensive business model and growth profile. Walmart (WMT) – Among the 14 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy Now According to Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings season coverage showed Walmart outperforming many large-format grocery and general merchandise peers, reinforcing relative strength versus competitors. Q1 Earnings Outperformers: Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) And The Rest of the Large-format Grocery & General Merchandise Retailer Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles debated whether Walmart’s recent rally is fully justified and whether the stock’s party is over, but these pieces were more commentary than a direct business catalyst. Walmart (WMT) Stock After Recent Retail Sentiment Shifts Is The Rally Justified
• Neutral Sentiment: One executive stock sale and a price-prediction style article could create some headline noise, but they do not appear to materially change the company’s operating outlook. Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP Sells $1,435,203.96 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: One article argued another e-commerce and fintech company may be a better buy than Walmart, which could slightly temper enthusiasm at the margin, though it does not alter Walmart’s fundamentals. Forget Walmart: This E-Commerce and Fintech Giant Is Growing 40% YoY and Is a Better Buy

Walmart 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.