Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. cut its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 1.7% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 430,084 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 7,480 shares during the period. Walmart makes up approximately 1.3% of Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 16th largest holding. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $47,916,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,561 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $285,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. Capstone Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,955 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $552,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. Ellenbecker Investment Group lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group now owns 14,475 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,613,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the period. Matrix Trust Co lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 20.0% during the 4th quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 547 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, HRC Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. HRC Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,209 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $246,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $134.00 price objective (up from $129.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $147.00 price objective (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, April 20th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 18th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $138.09.
Trending Headlines about Walmart
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen boosted its price target on Walmart to $150 and kept a Buy rating, which supports sentiment around the stock. Walmart (WMT) Gets a Buy from TD Cowen
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart was included among the 10 best inflation-hedge stocks for 2026, reinforcing its defensive appeal if consumer budgets remain tight. Walmart (WMT) – Among the 10 Best Inflation-Hedge Stocks to Buy for 2026
- Positive Sentiment: Another write-up echoed the inflation-hedge theme and TD Cowen’s raised target, adding to the bullish analyst narrative. Walmart (WMT) – Among the 10 Best Inflation-Hedge Stocks to Buy for 2026
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart opened a third U.S. milk processing facility, which may support supply-chain control and lower long-term costs. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Opens Third Milk Processing Facility in the United States, Reuters Reports
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart expanded its wellness aisles with exclusive men’s grooming and women’s health products, which could help drive traffic and sales in higher-margin categories. Walmart Expands Wellness Aisles With Exclusive Grooming And Women’s Health Lines
- Neutral Sentiment: Coverage ahead of retail earnings highlighted Walmart as a key read on consumer spending, but this is more of a macro watch item than a direct catalyst. Retail Earnings Will Show How Much Pressure Consumers Are Under
- Neutral Sentiment: CNBC noted that higher-income shoppers are helping drive Walmart’s strength this year, underscoring a favorable demand mix. Walmart has been on fire this year. How high earners are driving up the stock
- Neutral Sentiment: BTIG Research also issued a positive outlook on Walmart, adding to the broader analyst support. BTIG Research Issues Positive Forecast for Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock Price
Walmart Stock Up 0.2%
Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $130.43 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $91.89 and a one year high of $134.69. The company has a 50 day moving average of $125.91 and a 200-day moving average of $118.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The stock has a market cap of $1.04 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.60, a P/E/G ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.65.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.66 EPS. Walmart’s revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. 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, sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.
Walmart Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a dividend of $0.2475 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s payout ratio is currently 36.13%.
Insider Activity at Walmart
In other news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.72, for a total transaction of $361,688.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 596,008 shares in the company, valued at $74,334,117.76. The trade was a 0.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.21, for a total transaction of $2,566,989.36. Following the sale, the director owned 4,193,995 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $554,488,078.95. This represents a 0.46% 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. Insiders have sold 167,195 shares of company stock worth $20,975,804 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.10% 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.
Further Reading
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