Walmart Inc. $WMT is Laffer Tengler Investments Inc.’s 7th Largest Position

Laffer Tengler Investments Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 17.4% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 167,896 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 24,858 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for 2.7% of Laffer Tengler Investments Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Laffer Tengler Investments Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $17,303,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 435,652,710 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $44,898,368,000 after buying an additional 3,835,200 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Walmart by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 94,557,532 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $9,199,712,000 after acquiring an additional 263,718 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $5,367,770,000. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,298,623 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,153,176,000 after purchasing an additional 634,211 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 3.6% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 31,973,329 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,126,775,000 after purchasing an additional 1,098,342 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.99, for a total transaction of $1,574,868.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 727,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $87,251,328.45. The trade was a 1.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.83, for a total transaction of $2,171,291.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,315,333 shares in the company, valued at approximately $482,583,689.39. The trade was a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 259,703 shares of company stock valued at $31,585,043. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of WMT opened at $127.91 on Wednesday. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $79.81 and a twelve month 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. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.02 trillion, a P/E ratio of 46.68, a PEG ratio of 4.73 and a beta of 0.66. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $121.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $110.56.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $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, research 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. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is 34.31%.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America reinstated coverage with a Buy rating and a $150 price target, arguing Walmart is well positioned as a consumer hedge in a bifurcated economy, which supports upside to the stock. The Great Divide: Is Walmart the Ultimate Hedge for 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s Sam’s Club reported a 2.9% sales rise, +5.3% traffic and e?commerce growth of 23%, signaling membership and digital momentum that should help margins and comps. Walmart’s Sam’s Club Sales Rise 2.9%
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart expanded its grocery/CPG assortment as brands (e.g., Liquid Youth) roll out at select Walmart stores — incremental SKU additions can modestly boost grocery sales and private?label/commercial partnerships. Liquid Youth™ Expands Retail Footprint with Launch at Target and Walmart
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/press pieces highlight Walmart’s durable same?store sales, wide moat, growth in e?commerce, digital advertising and AI initiatives — positive fundamentals but already partly reflected in the rally. 3 Things to Know About Walmart Stock Before You Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage notes and valuation checks question whether the stock has run ahead of fundamentals after a ~32% one?year rally — investors are debating growth vs. stretched multiples. Is Walmart (WMT) Still Attractive After 32% One Year Share Price Rally?
• Negative Sentiment: Major shareholders sold large blocks: reports show the Walton family trust sold roughly $380M of stock over five days and another report says Walmart’s largest shareholder offloaded about $220M — heavy insider selling can create near?term supply pressure and raise investor concern. Walton Family Trust Dumps $380 Million in Walmart Stock Over Five Days
• Negative Sentiment: Additional reporting highlights another large ~$220M block sale by a major shareholder, reinforcing the headline risk from concentrated selling. Walmart’s Largest Shareholder Dumps $220 Million in Shares

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on WMT shares. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 price target (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $127.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, December 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $135.00 price target (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 price objective (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $134.42.

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.