Sarasin & Partners LLP Reduces Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Sarasin & Partners LLP lowered its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 20.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 40,023 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 10,000 shares during the quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP’s holdings in Walmart were worth $4,126,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. PFS Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 267.8% during the 2nd quarter. PFS Partners LLC now owns 320 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 233 shares during the last quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 55.3% in the 2nd quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC now owns 323 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 115 shares during the period. Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the second quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Finally, Harbor Asset Planning Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at $46,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Holiday sales appear to be a win for Walmart versus Target, suggesting stronger same‑store trends and execution into peak season — a near‑term sales catalyst and competitive share gain. Walmart’s Holiday Strength Highlights Target’s Strategic Missteps | TGT WMT
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst consensus remains constructive (average “Moderate Buy”), supporting upside from earnings momentum and the firm’s FY26 guidance. Analyst support can buoy the stock if results stay on track. Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple analyst/commentary pieces highlight Walmart as a longer‑term growth story (ecommerce, Marketplace, fintech/PhonePe exposure), reinforcing investor interest beyond cyclical retail swings. Why Walmart (WMT) is a top growth stock for the long term
• Neutral Sentiment: Major shareholder structure overview — articles summarizing top holders (index funds, Walton family) provide context for liquidity and potential block trades but don’t imply immediate operational change. Useful for assessing long‑term ownership stability. Top Walmart Shareholders
• Neutral Sentiment: An investor group has asked Walmart to disclose impacts from U.S. immigration policy changes — this increases ESG/operational transparency pressure but is mainly a disclosure/regulatory risk to monitor. Exclusive: Amazon, Walmart shareholder pushes firms to report impact of Trump’s immigration policies
• Negative Sentiment: Market concern over potential H‑1B visa fee changes and their incremental cost to payrolls/supply chain has prompted investor questions and a clear near‑term headwind to sentiment. This regulatory/expense uncertainty pressured the stock. Walmart stock dips (WMT) as investors seek answers on H-1b visa fees impact
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: EVP Daniel Bartlett sold ~1,425 shares (disclosed SEC Form 4). Small relative to his holdings, but combined insider/major‑holder moves can spook traders. Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP Daniel Bartlett Sells 1,425 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: Walton Family Holdings Trust reportedly sold about $30.1M of Walmart stock — a meaningful block by ownership value that can increase supply and weigh on price near term. 6WMT : Insider Decision: Walton Family Holdings Trust Offloads $30.10M…

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $114.36 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $79.81 and a 52-week high of $117.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $911.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.99, a PEG ratio of 5.28 and a beta of 0.64. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $107.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $102.10.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $122.00 price objective (up previously from $118.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, September 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $129.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 price objective (up from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Walmart from $110.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Thirty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $120.54.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.57, for a total transaction of $2,127,411.12. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,334,747 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $474,958,228.79. This trade represents a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.23, for a total value of $244,706.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 617,318 shares in the company, valued at $68,664,281.14. The trade was a 0.36% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 127,828 shares of company stock valued at $13,745,625 in the last ninety days. 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.