Commonwealth Equity Services LLC Trims Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 10.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,461,028 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 292,798 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $253,634,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Walmart by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 431,817,510 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,223,116,000 after acquiring an additional 5,856,468 shares during the period. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC grew its position in shares of Walmart by 397,264.9% during the 2nd quarter. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC now owns 104,514,912 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $10,496,702,000 after purchasing an additional 104,488,610 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.3% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 94,557,532 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $9,199,712,000 after purchasing an additional 263,718 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth $5,367,770,000. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in Walmart by 3.6% during the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 31,973,329 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,126,775,000 after buying an additional 1,098,342 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks notes WMT settled higher on the session, reflecting positive investor reaction to recent company performance and the market’s appetite for defensive retail names. Walmart (WMT) Beats Stock Market Upswing: What Investors Need to Know
• Positive Sentiment: The Motley Fool’s “7 Reasons to Buy WMT” highlights Walmart’s grocery-led revenue ( >50% of sales) and double-digit e-commerce growth — factors supporting durable, predictable cash flow and upside to market share in retail. 7 Reasons to Buy WMT Stock Like There’s No Tomorrow
• Positive Sentiment: A separate Fool piece reiterates Walmart’s diversified retail footprint and low-price positioning as long-term competitive advantages that support steady performance and dividend durability. 3 Reasons to Buy Walmart Stock Like There’s No Tomorrow
• Positive Sentiment: Benzinga’s retrospective on a $100 investment over five years underscores strong long-term shareholder returns, reinforcing buy-and-hold sentiment among income and value investors. Here’s How Much $100 Invested In Walmart 5 Years Ago Would Be Worth Today
• Neutral Sentiment: MarketBeat flags that defensive names (including WMT) may be “crowded” entering 2026 — a reminder that some upside is already priced in and that macro shifts could swing performance. Are These 3 Leading Defensive Stocks Too Crowded Heading Into 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: A MarketBeat roundup and a Motley Fool list that mention WMT among dividend/defensive picks reinforce its income/defensive appeal but don’t add fresh catalysts beyond valuation and yield considerations. Bullseye Bounce: Toms Capital Takes a Stake in Target (WMT)
• Negative Sentiment: Activist activity at peer Target (Toms Capital stake) could intensify competition or prompt industry consolidation moves; that dynamic is a downside risk for Walmart’s market-share and margin outlook if it leads to more aggressive pricing or capital allocation by rivals. Bullseye Bounce: Toms Capital Takes a Stake in Target (WMT)

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and issued a $120.00 target price (up from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, November 21st. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, December 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Thirty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $120.69.

Walmart Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $112.76 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $898.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.21 and a beta of 0.66. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $108.66 and its 200-day moving average price is $103.23. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $79.81 and a 12-month high of $117.45.

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

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.63, for a total value of $406,520.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 1,040,455 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $105,741,441.65. This trade represents a 0.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $107.78, for a total transaction of $1,414,612.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 892,940 shares in the company, valued at $96,241,073.20. The trade was a 1.45% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 125,628 shares of company stock worth $13,690,065 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.