VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Buys Shares of 700,251 Walmart Inc. $WMT

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 700,251 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $79,310,000.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Montgomery Financial Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Sankala Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Truist Financial set a $114.00 price objective on Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Tigress Financial reissued a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, August 31st. BTIG Research dropped their target price on shares of Walmart from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $125.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $131.88.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT stock opened at $107.14 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $850.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.68, a P/E/G ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.59. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $98.88 and a twelve month 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 0.41. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $110.81 and its 200 day simple moving average is $119.52.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.68 EPS. 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 predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other news, EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,950 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.14, for a total value of $415,303.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 622,349 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $65,433,773.86. This represents a 0.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total transaction of $5,335,345.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 201,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,246,145.20. This trade represents a 20.07% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 81,242 shares of company stock worth $8,836,446. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Dunkin’ delivery expands Walmart’s digital ecosystem. Walmart’s partnership with Dunkin’ adds restaurant delivery to its three-month-old service, broadening convenience offerings and giving the retailer another opportunity to increase customer engagement, order frequency and delivery revenue while competing with DoorDash and Uber Eats. Walmart Shoppers Can Now Get Dunkin’ Delivered
• Positive Sentiment: Fraud prevention could become an additional retail technology opportunity. Walmart’s work with Amazon on fraud prevention highlights its efforts to protect shoppers and potentially develop technology and services that improve trust, retention and the economics of digital commerce. Amazon and Walmart Turn Fraud Prevention Into a Retail Product
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail comparisons show Walmart remains a key consumer bellwether. Recent large-format retailer results point to a divided, or “K-shaped,” consumer economy: higher-income shoppers continue spending in some discretionary categories, while value-focused consumers face pressure from elevated grocery costs. This creates both traffic opportunities and potential margin challenges for Walmart. Retail Earnings Expose a Bigger Divide in the U.S. Consumer Economy
• Neutral Sentiment: Haleon’s improved shelf placement reinforces Walmart’s importance to suppliers. Better positioning for Haleon brands such as Sensodyne may support product visibility and sales, though the report primarily benefits Haleon and does not materially change Walmart’s financial outlook. Haleon Secures Better Shelf Space at Walmart
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff and margin concerns are weighing on the investment case. Mixed retail results suggest Walmart may face pressure balancing value pricing with higher product costs, while its elevated earnings multiple leaves less room for execution disappointments.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory scrutiny adds an overhang. The Department of Justice’s investigation into rising beef prices has expanded to Walmart and other retailers. No wrongdoing has been established, but the inquiry creates potential legal, reputational and compliance risks.
• Neutral Sentiment: An executive share sale was limited and prearranged. EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,950 shares worth approximately $415,000 under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, reducing his direct holdings by only 0.63%; the transaction is therefore a weak trading signal. Daniel Bartlett Sells Walmart Shares

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.