Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co Takes Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co acquired a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund acquired 680,366 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $77,058,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. X Square Capital LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the second quarter valued at $2,450,000. Emerald Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth about $8,128,000. Westpac Banking Corp acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,845,000. Iyo Bank Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at about $10,881,000. Finally, TRB Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,912,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 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 on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total value of $308,386.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 569,153 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $60,523,730.02. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 26,648 shares of company stock worth $3,085,798. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $128.00 target price (down from $137.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $120.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Erste Group Bank cut shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $130.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $131.88.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $104.34 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $95.60 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $112.47 and a 200-day simple moving average of $120.78. The company has a market capitalization of $830.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.61.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion for 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $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. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to project upside for WMT, with reports citing consensus price targets of $138.50 and $128.43—well above recent trading levels. Large call-option purchases also suggest some traders are positioning for a rebound. Walmart consensus price target Walmart call options activity
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s digital sales, automation and AI initiatives remain key parts of the growth story. Its Sparky shopping assistant has reportedly produced customer baskets about 40% larger than those of customers shopping without the tool, while Walmart is also exploring advertising and technology opportunities with OpenAI and ChatGPT. Walmart Sparky AI assistant
• Positive Sentiment: The new Scenario women’s fashion brand, with most items priced below $25, could help Walmart attract younger shoppers and expand its apparel business. The company is also increasing rapid-delivery capabilities through Flipkart in India. Walmart launches Scenario fashion brand
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are comparing Walmart’s digital and business-mix expansion with MercadoLibre’s broader ecosystem growth, highlighting Walmart’s improving online opportunity but also the high expectations embedded in its valuation. Walmart versus MercadoLibre growth comparison
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s U.S. comparable sales rose 2.6%, below the 3.8% analyst estimate and representing the company’s slowest comparable-sales growth in roughly six years. Higher gasoline prices and broader economic pressure may be making consumers more cautious. Walmart comparable-sales miss
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a concern after Walmart’s substantial five-year gain. Analysts note that the stock trades at a premium relative to peers despite slower store-sales momentum, while Amazon continues to take share of U.S. clothing spending from Walmart. Walmart valuation concerns Amazon clothing share versus Walmart

Walmart Company 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.