Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd. Buys 6,000 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd. boosted its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 27.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 28,000 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,000 shares during the period. Walmart makes up approximately 1.5% of Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd.’s holdings, making the stock its 18th largest position. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $3,119,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV grew its position in Walmart by 18.9% in the 4th quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 8,728 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $972,000 after purchasing an additional 1,386 shares during the period. Forefront Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $211,000. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. bought a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,995,000. Saranac Partners Ltd grew its position in Walmart by 17.6% in the 4th quarter. Saranac Partners Ltd now owns 76,790 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,570,000 after purchasing an additional 11,517 shares during the period. Finally, Tredje AP fonden grew its position in Walmart by 42.5% in the 4th quarter. Tredje AP fonden now owns 1,309,785 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $145,923,000 after purchasing an additional 390,460 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $134.20 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $126.78 and its 200-day simple moving average is $119.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.07 trillion, a PE ratio of 48.98, a P/E/G ratio of 4.93 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $93.43 and a 1-year high of $135.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The company’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.66 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 10,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total transaction of $1,214,600.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 108,294 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,153,389.24. The trade was a 8.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. This trade represents a 3.95% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 167,190 shares of company stock worth $20,975,838 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have been raising price targets and reiterating bullish ratings on Walmart ahead of earnings, reflecting confidence in the company’s execution and near-term outlook. Walmart stock: Here’s why analysts are raising price targets before Q1 earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is benefiting from its scale, digital expansion, and higher-margin businesses, which are helping it outperform rivals and absorb tariff-related cost pressure better than peers. Scale, online push and loyalty fees: how Walmart won the year of the tariffs
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expected to deliver solid Q1 results, with investors watching for continued omnichannel momentum, e-commerce growth, and gains in ads and membership revenue. Walmart Looks Strong Ahead of Q1 Earnings: Should Investors Stay Put?
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s push into AI and automation could support margins over time by improving fulfillment efficiency and lowering operating costs. Walmart’s AI and Automation Push: Long-Term Cost Advantage?
• Neutral Sentiment: One small insider sale by EVP Daniel Bartlett is a headline risk, but it was a pre-arranged 10b5-1 transaction and does not appear to signal a major change in outlook. SEC Form 4 filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader retail comparisons and market worries around consumer spending and geopolitics may create short-term volatility, but they also reinforce Walmart’s defensive appeal. NVDA, WMT Report This Week, but News on the Strait Is Key

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on WMT shares. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target 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.