The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Has $468.09 Million Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company reduced its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 8.1% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 4,132,839 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 366,527 shares during the quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company’s holdings in Walmart were worth $468,086,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of WMT. MFA Wealth Services increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. MFA Wealth Services now owns 10,909 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,356,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the period. Realta Investment Advisors lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 2.0% during the first quarter. Realta Investment Advisors now owns 4,089 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $508,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the period. Compton Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 4.1% in the first quarter. Compton Financial Group LLC now owns 2,081 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $259,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Group LLC increased its position in Walmart by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 9,636 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,074,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the period. Finally, Calton & Associates Inc. increased its position in Walmart by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,033,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts reaffirm bullish views: DA Davidson maintained a “buy” rating with a $132 price target, while BTIG Research reiterated its “buy” rating and set a $140 target. The targets imply substantial upside from recent trading levels and signal confidence in Walmart’s earnings resilience. Analyst rating coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Expanded digital and delivery offerings: Walmart is rolling out tap-to-pay across its U.S. stores, accepting Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, contactless cards and wearable devices. The move could improve checkout convenience and engagement, although it reduces the emphasis on Walmart’s proprietary payments ecosystem. Walmart Expands Tap to Pay as Amazon Builds Its AI Capacity
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is reportedly adding Papa John’s to its restaurant-delivery partner network, broadening its delivery assortment and potentially increasing order frequency through its digital platforms. Walmart Adds Papa John’s to Restaurant Delivery Partner List
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s New York Fashion Week appearance generated attention and may support brand visibility, particularly with fashion-conscious consumers, but the near-term financial impact is unclear. Walmart creates a stir at a New York Fashion Week event
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported September short interest was zero shares, unchanged from the prior reported period. This indicates no measurable short-selling pressure, though the data appears anomalous and offers little actionable insight.
• Negative Sentiment: Higher-rate concerns could pressure consumers: Market coverage highlights technical tests for Walmart as rising U.S. interest rates raise questions about household purchasing power and discretionary spending. Walmart’s valuation remains demanding, increasing sensitivity to any slowdown in growth. WMT, COST and AMZN Forecast: Higher Rates Test Consumers

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other news, EVP Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total value of $308,386.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at $60,523,730.02. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at 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 stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 201,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,246,145.20. This trade represents a 20.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 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 sold a total of 69,264 shares of company stock worth $7,401,242 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on WMT. Cantor Fitzgerald raised shares of Walmart to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Walmart from $137.00 to $125.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Freedom Broker upgraded Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Gordon Haskett lowered Walmart from a “buy” rating to an “accumulate” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $113.00 target price on Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.88.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT stock opened at $105.73 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The company has a market capitalization of $838.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.04 and a beta of 0.59. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $110.33 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $118.96. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $98.88 and a 52 week high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.Walmart’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.68 earnings per share. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Company Profile

Walmart Inc is a multinational retail and technology company that operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood markets, e-commerce platforms and membership warehouse clubs. Its merchandise includes groceries, apparel, electronics, home goods, health and beauty products, general merchandise and other consumer products.

Founded by Sam Walton in 1962 and incorporated in 1969, Walmart is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company serves customers through operations in the United States and international markets, including Mexico, Canada, China, India and several countries in Central America and Africa.