Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Bought by Wedbush Securities Inc.

Wedbush Securities Inc. grew its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 5.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 116,657 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,981 shares during the quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $12,023,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Walmart in the second quarter valued at about $5,367,770,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 9,648.7% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,486,374 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,123,138,000 after purchasing an additional 11,368,549 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Walmart by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 431,817,510 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,223,116,000 after purchasing an additional 5,856,468 shares during the last quarter. Amundi raised its stake in Walmart by 23.5% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 19,493,644 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,902,775,000 after acquiring an additional 3,710,506 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AGF Management Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 1,176.6% in the second quarter. AGF Management Ltd. now owns 3,317,487 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $324,384,000 after purchasing an additional 3,057,612 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

Walmart stock opened at $128.77 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.03 trillion, a P/E ratio of 45.02, a P/E/G ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 0.65. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $117.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $107.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.80. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $79.81 and a 1 year high of $131.79.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $179.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $175.15 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.26% and a return on equity of 21.31%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.58 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raising targets and upgrades — Oppenheimer and other firms have lifted price targets and reiterated Outperform/Buy ratings ahead of Walmart’s Q4 print, supporting momentum and investor confidence. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying — Fisher Asset Management increased its stake, signaling conviction from a large money manager that can boost demand for the stock. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings cadence and expectations — Walmart scheduled its Q4 earnings call for Feb. 19; markets are watching for a possible beat and forward commentary after the company recently topped EPS and set FY2026 guidance. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Operational initiatives and store rollout — Next‑gen Jacksonville Supercenter and omnichannel tests reinforce Walmart’s long‑term growth/efficiency thesis that analysts cite when valuing the company at premium multiples. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/retail data mixed — December retail sales came in flat, a potential headwind for discretionary categories, but Walmart is often viewed as a beneficiary of “trade‑down” behavior when consumers seek value. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive landscape — Kroger’s leadership change (Greg Foran) sharpens competition in grocery; it’s a strategic risk over time but not an immediate earnings shock. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Major lawsuit from Estée Lauder alleging counterfeit products sold via Walmart’s marketplace — this brings legal, reputational and regulatory risk and could trigger increased compliance costs or marketplace restrictions if proven. Investors are watching how Walmart responds and whether third‑party seller controls will be tightened. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Marketplace scrutiny and investor nervousness — coverage notes the suit also tests marketplace controls and investor sentiment; increased regulatory scrutiny or larger-than-expected damages would be a material negative. Read More.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently commented on WMT shares. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Walmart from $110.00 to $121.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, January 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $129.00 price objective (up previously from $122.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, January 5th. Mizuho raised their target price on Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Thirty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $127.19.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Donna Morris sold 76,181 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.79, for a total value of $9,430,445.99. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 402,072 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,772,492.88. This trade represents a 15.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total transaction of $2,445,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 506,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $61,962,034.28. This represents a 3.80% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 229,196 shares of company stock valued at $26,957,858 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Company 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.