The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Has $559.18 Million Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company cut its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 12.0% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 4,499,366 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 615,704 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company’s holdings in Walmart were worth $559,181,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Walmart by 57.4% during the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 193.0% during the fourth quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the period. Finally, Sankala Group LLC bought a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the subject of several recent research reports. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Finally, KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.65.

Walmart Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of WMT opened at $111.74 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $116.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $122.02. The stock has a market cap of $889.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.21, a P/E/G ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.60. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $95.42 and a 12 month high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.61 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Market momentum and investor interest: Walmart outperformed the broader market during the latest session, providing a near-term boost to the stock. Walmart Beats Stock Market Upswing: What Investors Need to Know
• Positive Sentiment: Higher-income customer gains: Walmart is attracting more affluent shoppers through low prices, faster delivery and a broader product assortment. Sustaining this customer mix could support sales growth and improve the company’s competitive position. Can Walmart Sustain Gains Among Higher-Income Customers?
• Positive Sentiment: AI and efficiency potential: Walmart is using artificial intelligence behind the scenes to improve efficiency and reduce costs rather than selling AI products directly. Recent earnings strength and favorable analyst ratings add support to the investment case. These 3 AI Winners Don’t Sell the Tech—They Use It
• Positive Sentiment: Scale and supply-chain initiatives: Walmart, General Mills and ADM launched a regenerative agriculture program covering 40,000 Midwest wheat acres. While not an immediate earnings driver, the effort could strengthen Walmart’s supply-chain relationships and support its sustainability reputation. Walmart Launches Regenerative Agriculture Effort
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent fundamentals: Walmart’s latest quarterly revenue exceeded expectations, while earnings per share met consensus estimates. Revenue growth and the company’s scale remain supportive, although the stock’s elevated valuation makes continued execution important.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation risk: Commentary warns that Walmart trades at a premium relative to projected forward earnings. Its scale provides a durable cost advantage, but the rich valuation leaves less room for disappointing growth or margins. Walmart Is at $108: Why Investors Should Pause

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total value of $2,303,320.08. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,174,579 shares in the company, valued at $495,230,306.77. This trade represents a 0.46% 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. Insiders have sold 67,729 shares of company stock worth $8,124,931 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

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.