QP Wealth Management LLC Makes New Investment in Walmart Inc. $WMT

QP Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 17,435 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,942,000. Walmart comprises about 1.7% of QP Wealth Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Collier Financial acquired a new position in Walmart during the third quarter valued at $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the third quarter worth about $30,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc grew its holdings in Walmart by 212.6% during the third quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 322 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the period. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the third quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Summary

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on WMT shares. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. DA Davidson set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, December 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and set a $147.00 target price (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. One 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 data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.76.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total value of $1,214,600.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 108,294 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,153,389.24. This represents a 8.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.71, for a total value of $2,460,201.36. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,023,209 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $509,780,812.39. This trade represents a 0.48% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 274,278 shares of company stock worth $33,605,809. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $119.02 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $124.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $112.74. The company has a market cap of $948.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.44, a PEG ratio of 4.51 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 one year low of $79.81 and a one year high of $134.69.

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

Walmart Announces Dividend

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

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.