Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. Has $156.14 Million Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. reduced its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 4.3% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,398,962 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 63,616 shares during the period. Walmart makes up 0.8% of Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $156,140,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 188.1% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,199,907,000 after buying an additional 7,614,172 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $49,015,626,000 after purchasing an additional 4,304,436 shares during the last quarter. Amundi raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 20.5% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 23,497,921 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,413,236,000 after purchasing an additional 4,004,277 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the third quarter worth approximately $294,621,000. Finally, PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth approximately $280,736,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.84, for a total transaction of $1,638,525.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 674,162 shares in the company, valued at approximately $84,162,384.08. This trade represents a 1.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.77, for a total transaction of $167,212.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 635,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $85,023,275.61. This trade represents a 0.20% 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. Insiders have sold a total of 167,190 shares of company stock valued at $20,975,838 in the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart Stock Up 1.4%

WMT stock opened at $133.34 on Tuesday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $126.57 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $119.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $93.43 and a 1-year high of $134.69. The stock has a market cap of $1.06 trillion, a P/E ratio of 48.66, a P/E/G ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The business had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.66 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.2475 per share. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.13%.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s push into AI and automation could support margins over time by improving fulfillment efficiency, boosting order values, and lowering operating costs. Walmart’s AI and Automation Push: Long-Term Cost Advantage?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor focus is turning to Walmart’s upcoming earnings report, with analysts watching key operating metrics beyond revenue and EPS for signs that the business is still executing well. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Walmart (WMT) Q1 Earnings, Beyond Revenue and EPS
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart remains a favored defensive retail name as investors compare it with other consumer staples and grocery operators during a volatile market backdrop. Forget Walmart. The Grocer Beating It on Trust and Margin Trades at a Third of the Multiple
• Neutral Sentiment: Several hedge fund filings showed mixed positioning in Walmart, with some managers adding shares and others trimming, which does not clearly change the near-term outlook. Moore Capital Management Boosts Walmart Stake by 3,454 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares in a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 transaction, adding a small insider-sale headline that may slightly pressure sentiment. SEC Form 4 filing
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market attention on geopolitical risk, including the Strait of Hormuz closure, may keep investors cautious and can weigh on sentiment even for defensive stocks like Walmart. NVDA, WMT Report This Week, but News on the Strait Is Key

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 price objective (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price objective on Walmart in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $145.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $140.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.88.

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.