10 Best Defensive Stocks According to Reddit

3. Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 95

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) is one of the biggest retail companies in the world that operates retail outlets, wholesale units, and e-commerce sites in more than 20 countries serving over 240 million customers every week. The company’s e-commerce platform provides services to mass consumers, low-income customers, and small business owners. Walmart entered the e-commerce space in 2000 and reported $100 billion in e-commerce sales in the fiscal year 2024, up from $73 billion in FY 2022. Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) is also a well-known brick-and-mortar retailer with 10,500 stores globally.

The company currently operates 210 distribution centers and has a private fleet of 9,000 tractors, 80,000 trailers, and 11,000 drivers, all of which make quick deliveries possible. In the past 12 months, within the US, Walmart delivered 4.4 billion items on the same day or the next day, and 30% were delivered within three hours.

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) is making significant investments in innovating its customer offerings and storefront. In FQ1 2025, the company launched a generative AI-powered product search tool and a data analytics platform allowing customers to shop more effectively and receive intuitive product recommendations based on their likes and dislikes. As for its brick-and-mortar stores, by the end of FY 2026, the company expects 65% of its stores and 55% of its fulfillment centers to be run by automation.

Walmart’s e-commerce footprint is increasing, as evidenced by a 36% growth in sellers on its marketplace in the fiscal first quarter of 2025. Overall, the company is on track to add $130 billion in sales if it achieves its 4% sales growth target over the next five years.

Analysts are bullish on WMT and their 12-month median price target of $81 points to a 6% upside from current levels. Overall, WMT was held by 95 hedge funds at the close of Q2 2024 with total stakes amounting to $9.19 billion. As of June 30, Fisher Asset Management was the largest shareholder with a position worth $3.08 billion.