Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. Invests $20.34 Million in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. acquired a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund acquired 179,589 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $20,340,000. Walmart accounts for 0.3% of Sumitomo Life Insurance Co.’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 28.8% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,868,000 after purchasing an additional 21,939 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 5.8% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $800,000 after buying an additional 485 shares during the period. Peterson Wealth Management grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 3.5% during the first quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,416,000 after buying an additional 1,715 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 13,008 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,272,000 after buying an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its position in Walmart by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 91,341 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,931,000 after buying an additional 1,048 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 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 shares were sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total transaction of $308,386.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $60,523,730.02. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 26,648 shares of company stock worth $3,085,798. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Down 1.0%

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $104.34 on Thursday. The firm 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 Inc. has a twelve month low of $95.60 and a twelve month high of $135.15. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $112.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $120.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced 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 company 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 business’s revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business 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. Equities research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. BNP Paribas Exane reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 price target (down from $146.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 5th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised shares of Walmart to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $130.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research 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 given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $131.88.

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

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.