Strategic Planning Group LLC Raises Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Strategic Planning Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 4.4% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 235,989 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 9,977 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for about 3.4% of Strategic Planning Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest position. Strategic Planning Group LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $26,292,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Lafayette Investments Inc. bought a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $278,000. Trek Financial LLC raised its position in Walmart by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Trek Financial LLC now owns 9,364 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,043,000 after acquiring an additional 321 shares in the last quarter. AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs raised its position in Walmart by 6.0% in the fourth quarter. AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs now owns 226,413 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,225,000 after acquiring an additional 12,912 shares in the last quarter. Centric Wealth Management raised its position in Walmart by 10.1% in the fourth quarter. Centric Wealth Management now owns 38,774 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,320,000 after acquiring an additional 3,549 shares in the last quarter. Finally, 49 Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Walmart by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. 49 Wealth Management LLC now owns 30,141 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,358,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Trading Down 2.2%

Shares of WMT opened at $127.59 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $126.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $118.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.02 trillion, a P/E ratio of 46.57, a P/E/G ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $91.89 and a 1-year high of $134.69. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.Walmart’s revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business 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. Analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.2475 per share. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s payout ratio is 36.13%.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 10,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total transaction of $1,214,600.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 108,294 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,153,389.24. The trade was a 8.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total value of $2,555,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. This trade represents a 3.95% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 167,195 shares of company stock worth $20,975,804. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley revisited Walmart’s stock ahead of earnings, a sign that major analysts are still actively monitoring the name and may update their outlook based on the upcoming report. Morgan Stanley revisits Walmart stock price target pre-earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s recent long-term stock performance remains strong, with shares up sharply over the past year, which can support investor confidence despite short-term volatility. Is It Too Late To Consider Walmart (WMT) After Its Strong 1 Year Share Price Run?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s stock was identified as falling while the broader market gained, reflecting sector rotation and profit-taking rather than a company-specific shock. Walmart (WMT) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here’s Why
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed no meaningful borrowing activity, so this does not currently point to a major bearish trading setup in the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted pressure on Walmart’s margins as grocery and health categories grow, suggesting profitability may remain under scrutiny even as sales trends hold up. Walmart’s Category Mix Pressures Margins: More Pain Ahead?
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart is preparing for California’s new $18 minimum wage rules, which could add labor cost pressure in a key market and weigh on margins. Walmart braces for new $18 California law — it’s slightly different for every city
• Negative Sentiment: Target’s new push to win back families, starting in the baby aisle, adds competitive pressure in a category where Walmart competes for budget-conscious shoppers. Target is trying to win back busy families from Walmart, starting with the baby aisle

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 price target (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.33.

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.