Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. Sells 8,280 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. reduced its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 3.7% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 217,518 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 8,280 shares during the period. Walmart makes up about 1.1% of Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $22,417,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc boosted its stake in Walmart by 212.6% during the third quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 322 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new position in Walmart during the third quarter worth $39,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Stock Up 0.4%

Walmart stock opened at $123.80 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $79.81 and a 1-year high of $134.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $986.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.66. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $121.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $111.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion during 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 business’s revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.66 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders 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 yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s payout ratio is 34.31%.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: OpenAI reportedly pulling back on direct purchases in ChatGPT could send more checkout traffic to retailer apps, giving Walmart’s commerce and app ecosystem an advantage. ChatGPT’s Retail Retreat Hands Walmart An AI Advantage: Analyst
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary and re‑rated fair‑value models are lifting the tech/AI narrative around Walmart, producing higher price targets and supporting upside expectations from investors focused on digital and ads monetization. How Walmart (WMT) Is Rewriting Its Story With Tech, AI And A Richer Valuation Debate
• Positive Sentiment: Company execution reminders — new store formats and ongoing omnichannel growth — reinforce the core retail case that underpins earnings stability. Walmart Opens Next Generation Supercenter in The Villages
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention is high — search and readership spikes (Zacks/Yahoo) and conference transcripts give analysts more to parse but contain no single market‑moving surprise. Investors Heavily Search Walmart Inc. (WMT): Here is What You Need to Know
• Negative Sentiment: A reported sale by a 10% Walmart owner totaling roughly $136.45M adds supply pressure and can prompt short‑term negative sentiment despite not reflecting company fundamentals. 10% Owner Of Walmart Sold $136.45M In Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Analyses highlight a cautious forward outlook and attention to a ~$100M regulatory settlement tied to the Spark Driver program — both factors that pressured the stock in recent sessions. Walmart slides as cautious outlook and regulatory settlement weigh on sentiment
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing tariff and import risks remain a margin headwind risk given Walmart’s large import footprint; rising trade frictions could pressure costs if not passed to customers. Walmart: Navigating A Bumpy Tariff Environment

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 10,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $13,153,389.24. The trade was a 8.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.71, for a total value of $2,460,201.36. Following the sale, the director owned 4,023,209 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $509,780,812.39. This trade represents a 0.48% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 279,703 shares of company stock worth $34,140,843. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $145.00 target price (up from $128.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $135.76.

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.