Legal & General Group Plc Makes New Investment in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund purchased 25,654,853 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $2,905,655,000. Walmart makes up approximately 0.6% of Legal & General Group Plc’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest holding.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. MFA Wealth Services grew its holdings in 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 in the last quarter. Realta Investment Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 2.0% during the first quarter. Realta Investment Advisors now owns 4,089 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $508,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the period. Compton Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 4.1% during the first quarter. Compton Financial Group LLC now owns 2,081 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $259,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Renaissance Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 9,636 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,074,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the period. Finally, Calton & Associates Inc. raised its holdings in Walmart by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,033,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the topic of several recent research reports. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $115.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Oppenheimer reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on Walmart from $137.00 to $131.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $113.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $131.88.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total transaction of $308,386.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at $60,523,730.02. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, 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 Walmart stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 201,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,246,145.20. The trade was a 20.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. Insiders have sold a total of 77,292 shares of company stock worth $8,421,143 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Trading Up 0.4%

NASDAQ WMT opened at $103.09 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $111.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $120.45. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $95.79 and a 12 month high of $135.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $820.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.22, a PEG ratio of 3.90 and a beta of 0.61.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s fiscal second-quarter results showed continued momentum beyond traditional store sales: revenue reached approximately $187.9 billion, global e-commerce grew 23%, and advertising revenue increased 38%. These higher-growth businesses could support future margins and cash flow. Walmart Growth Engine Hums
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary continue to point to Walmart’s expanding e-commerce, digital advertising, memberships, convenience-led fulfillment, automation and AI initiatives as reasons the recent decline could represent a long-term buying opportunity. Walmart’s scale and value-focused pricing remain important competitive advantages. Walmart Continues to Grow Beyond Retail
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart settled a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit alleging that its pharmacies unlawfully contributed to the opioid epidemic. Resolving the case removes an overhang and reduces legal uncertainty, although the financial terms and any broader implications remain important for investors. Walmart Settles U.S. Opioid Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights a potentially tougher consumer environment. Walmart’s comparable sales growth was 3.4% excluding pharmacy-related items, while middle-income shoppers appear increasingly focused on necessities and limiting discretionary purchases. Walmart and Home Depot Results
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also questioning whether Walmart’s valuation adequately reflects its strong performance. A high earnings multiple, slower core sales growth and the stock’s position below its moving averages have amplified the impact of the recent selloff. Walmart Selloff Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares worth approximately $5.3 million. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover taxes on vested equity awards, making it a weaker bearish signal than discretionary insider selling. Walmart Insider Trading Filing

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.