Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Purchased by World Investment Advisors

World Investment Advisors raised its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 9.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 320,214 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 26,348 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for 0.6% of World Investment Advisors’ portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. World Investment Advisors’ holdings in Walmart were worth $35,675,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in Walmart in the third quarter valued at $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $125.00 price objective (up from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, January 8th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, March 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $135.76.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 533,466 shares in the company, valued at $65,082,852. The trade was a 6.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 506,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $61,962,034.28. The trade was a 3.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 274,278 shares of company stock valued at $33,605,809. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT stock opened at $119.02 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $948.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.43 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.79. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $79.81 and a 1 year high of $134.69. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $124.08 and a 200-day simple moving average of $112.85.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released 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. The firm 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%.Walmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.66 EPS. 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, equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced 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. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s payout ratio is presently 34.31%.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Growing AI narrative and modest analyst upside: coverage notes that Walmart’s AI investments (supply-chain, store ops) are reshaping its growth story and one valuation model nudged fair value slightly higher to ~$136, supporting longer-term upside. This bolsters bullish investor interest in WMT as a tech-enabled retailer. How Walmart (WMT) Is Rewriting Its Story With AI Hype And Valuation Questions
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/technical support for defensive retail: coverage from Barron’s highlights Walmart alongside other defensive retail names on both technical and fundamental grounds, which can attract risk-off flows and relative-strength buyers in uncertain markets. Walmart, Ross Stores, and Other ‘Defensive’ Retail Stocks
• Positive Sentiment: Market narrative that Walmart is an AI play: features arguing Walmart (and Target) are meaningful AI plays could lift investor conviction around margin improvement and efficiency gains over time. Forget Chipmakers: Walmart and Target Are the Real AI Plays
• Neutral Sentiment: Higher-than-usual call buying: intraday activity showed a ~42% increase in call option volume, which signals bullish positioning but could be speculative or short-term. Watch whether this leads to sustained buying or just short-term gamma flow.
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO transition focus: commentary on managing and positioning around CEO transitions notes both risk and opportunity — transitions can create volatility but also potential strategic shifts. Investors should watch messaging and execution from leadership. How to Play 3 Major CEO Transitions in Early 2026 (WMT)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by CEO: CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares (~1.87% reduction in his position) in a disclosed SEC filing — insider sales can be interpreted negatively by some investors even if part of routine diversification. Insider Sale SEC Filing

About Walmart

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.