WestEnd Advisors LLC Has $43.59 Million Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

WestEnd Advisors LLC cut its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 422,996 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 7,050 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for about 1.0% of WestEnd Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. WestEnd Advisors LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $43,594,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $112.76 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 twelve month low of $79.81 and a twelve month high of $117.45. The company has a fifty day moving average of $108.66 and a 200-day moving average of $103.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $898.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.43, a P/E/G ratio of 5.21 and a beta of 0.66.

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

More Walmart News

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)

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.23, for a total transaction of $244,706.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 617,318 shares in the company, valued at approximately $68,664,281.14. The trade was a 0.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,425 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.00, for a total transaction of $166,725.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 641,363 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $75,039,471. The trade was a 0.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 125,628 shares of company stock valued at $13,690,065. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $120.00 price objective (up previously from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $123.00 price objective (up from $111.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, November 21st. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $125.00 price objective (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Walmart from $110.00 to $121.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. Thirty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $120.69.

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.