JCIC Asset Management Inc. Takes $4.25 Million Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

JCIC Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 41,228 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $4,249,000. Walmart accounts for 1.3% of JCIC Asset Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Access Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. PFS Partners LLC boosted its position in 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 purchasing an additional 233 shares during the period. Ridgewood Investments LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 55.3% during the 2nd quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC now owns 323 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc increased its position in Walmart by 212.6% in the third quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 322 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the period. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the third quarter worth $39,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Executive succession clarified: John Furner will become CEO next month and promoted longtime insider David Guggina to CEO of Walmart U.S., a move investors interpret as continuity-focused and supportive for execution on omnichannel and AI strategies. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: AI/digital momentum: Coverage highlights Walmart’s AI initiatives and partnerships (Google/Alphabet, OpenAI/ChatGPT) as starting to produce sales/efficiency upside — a strategic story driving valuation premium and analyst optimism. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Fintech and ancillary growth: Walmart‑backed OnePay reached a $4B valuation milestone, signaling potential non‑retail upside from financial-services partnerships. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Multiple firms recently reiterated/raised Buy/Outperform views and targets, reinforcing short‑term institutional demand. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive positioning: Analysts note Walmart is narrowing Amazon’s online lead — a positive strategic trend but one that still leaves intense competition and execution requirements. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Several senior execs disclosed share sales (combined millions), which can be interpreted as routine diversification but may pressure sentiment short term. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: International leadership turnover: Walmart International CEO Kathryn McLay will depart (staying through transition), raising near‑term succession and execution questions for overseas growth. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/tax uncertainty: India’s top court is set to rule on tax treatment of the 2018 Flipkart stake sale (Tiger Global → Walmart), a potential precedent with financial or reputational implications. Read More.

Walmart Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $119.70 on Monday. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $79.81 and a 52-week high of $121.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.80. The business has a fifty day moving average of $111.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $104.59. The stock has a market cap of $954.03 billion, a PE ratio of 41.85, a PEG ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly 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 analyst estimates of $175.15 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.26% and a return on equity of 21.31%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.58 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the subject of several analyst reports. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $125.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $129.00 target price (up previously from $122.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $121.00 price target on Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Thirty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $123.03.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Donna Morris sold 9,384 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.19, for a total transaction of $1,127,862.96. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 536,312 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $64,459,339.28. The trade was a 1.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Daniel Danker sold 4,365 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.19, for a total transaction of $524,629.35. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 238,583 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $28,675,290.77. The trade was a 1.80% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 135,215 shares of company stock valued at $15,071,810 over the last 90 days. Corporate 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.