Legal & General Group Plc Invests $2.91 Billion in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Posted by George Bondi on Aug 29th, 2026

Walmart logo Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 25,654,853 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $2,905,655,000. Walmart makes up about 0.6% of Legal & General Group Plc’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest position. Legal & General Group Plc owned 0.32% of Walmart as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new position in Walmart in the second quarter worth approximately $468,086,000. Kelly Lawrence W & Associates Inc. CA purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at $815,000. Trajan Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at $24,564,000. Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter worth $3,203,000. Finally, Veratis Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter worth $4,869,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total transaction of $5,335,345.40. Following 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 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. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 trade 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 77,292 shares of company stock valued at $8,421,143. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $103.09 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $95.79 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The company has a market capitalization of $820.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.90 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The company has a 50 day moving average of $111.90 and a two-hundred day moving average of $120.45.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.68 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WMT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $132.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Walmart from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $115.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three research 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 company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $131.88.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Walmart

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

(Free Report)

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.