Focus Partners Wealth raised its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 4.1% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 2,488,741 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 97,445 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth’s holdings in Walmart were worth $256,484,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new position in Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc grew its position in Walmart by 212.6% in the 3rd quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 322 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
WMT has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Walmart from $110.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $145.00 price objective (up from $136.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $135.76.
Walmart Trading Up 0.9%
Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $126.52 on Monday. 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 capitalization of $1.01 trillion, a P/E ratio of 46.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $79.81 and a 1-year high of $134.69. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $123.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $112.06.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm 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. Equities research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Walmart Dividend Announcement
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s payout ratio is presently 34.31%.
Trending Headlines about Walmart
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart reported continued digital strength: eCommerce grew ~24% in the fiscal fourth quarter, reinforcing its omnichannel momentum and supporting revenue beat and modest upside to guidance — a clear near-term growth driver. Walmart eCommerce Up 24: Can Digital Momentum Continue?
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts and portfolio shops remain constructive: Tigress Financial reiterated a Buy and raised its price target to $150, citing Walmart’s shift toward tech-driven omnichannel operations — a signal of upward analyst sentiment. Tigress Financial Sees Walmart Inc. (WMT) as Tech-Driven Retail Leader
- Positive Sentiment: Flipkart IPO progress (Walmart-backed) remains a potential longer-term upside — an equity event that could unlock value and generate cash/strategic optionality. Walmart-backed Flipkart preps for an IPO as early as this year
- Neutral Sentiment: Schaeffer’s options commentary flagged bullish setups and the possibility of further record highs for WMT — useful for options traders but not a broad fundamental catalyst. Walmart Stock Could Nab More Record Highs
- Neutral Sentiment: Analysis pieces (The Motley Fool) flag that Walmart’s digital push could pay off if fulfillment economics and ROIC improve; it’s strategic upside but execution-dependent. Will Walmart’s Digital Push Pay Off in 2026?
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is referenced in pieces about stock splits and retail-focused ETFs — background thematic support but not an immediate catalyst. 3 ETFs That Could Benefit as Consumers Tighten Their Budgets (WMT)
- Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical risk: coverage notes the Iran war and possible Strait of Hormuz disruptions could push supply-chain costs and retail prices higher — a margin and inflation risk for Walmart. How the Iran war could start to impact U.S. retail prices
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation and sentiment pressure: commentary (247WallStreet) highlights retail investor criticism of WMT’s ~46x multiple and recent bearish social sentiment, raising the risk of multiple compression if growth disappoints. Reddit’s Loudest Walmart Critics Have a Point About That 46x Multiple
Insider Transactions at Walmart
In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total value of $4,158,004.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 533,466 shares in the company, valued at $65,082,852. This trade represents a 6.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total transaction of $2,445,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 506,764 shares in the company, valued at $61,962,034.28. This represents a 3.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 278,278 shares of company stock worth $33,974,118. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
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.
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