Bank of New York Mellon Corp Sells 226,362 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Bank of New York Mellon Corp reduced its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 0.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 29,311,383 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 226,362 shares during the period. Walmart makes up 0.5% of Bank of New York Mellon Corp’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Bank of New York Mellon Corp owned approximately 0.37% of Walmart worth $3,020,831,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position 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 purchasing an additional 5,856,468 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake 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 valued at $9,199,712,000 after acquiring an additional 263,718 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter worth about $5,367,770,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 3.6% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 31,973,329 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,126,775,000 after acquiring an additional 1,098,342 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi grew its holdings in Walmart by 23.5% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 19,493,644 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,902,775,000 after purchasing an additional 3,710,506 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on WMT shares. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $125.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $125.00 price objective (up previously from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $130.00 target price (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Truist Financial set a $127.00 price target on Walmart in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating and set a $128.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Thirty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $123.20.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $116.94 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $113.67 and a two-hundred day moving average of $105.63. 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 $121.62. The company has a market cap of $932.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.02 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.02. The business 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.58 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat argues Walmart’s re-rating as a tech/advertising hybrid is sustaining buying even as executives sell, citing strong ad growth, AI deployment (Sparky) and durable market-share gains — a constructive fundamental narrative supporting higher valuation. Why Walmart Continues to Rally While Executives Sell the Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights rising AI adoption across Walmart’s tech, e‑commerce and operations, which could drive productivity and margin expansion if automation continues to reduce fulfilment costs. Walmart’s AI Adoption Rises
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded WMT to a Buy (Zacks Rank #2), which can attract flow from model-driven funds and near-term buyers who follow upgrades. Walmart (WMT) Upgraded to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart will be the title sponsor of “Walmart Saturday Showdown” for MLS, a marketing tie‑up that boosts brand reach and customer engagement around grocery and e‑commerce promotions. This is a modest but positive commercial initiative. Major League Soccer Unveils Walmart Saturday Showdown
• Neutral Sentiment: Benzinga’s note on options activity highlights increased derivatives flow — useful for sentiment and short‑term volatility signals, but not a standalone reason for a sustained directional move. Decoding Walmart’s Options Activity
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple reports document significant insider selling (including the outgoing CEO’s ~$2.3M sale), which can spook some investors despite management explanations tied to the leadership transition and routine diversification. Insider Selling: Walmart CEO Sells $2,313,804.72 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: 247WallSt published a negative quality study on Walmart that may feed headlines and short‑term sentiment pressure among retail investors concerned about service/quality metrics. Walmart Hammered in New Quality Study

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,388 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total transaction of $166,560.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 645,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $77,477,040. The trade was a 0.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Donna Morris sold 9,384 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 536,312 shares in the company, valued at approximately $64,459,339.28. This trade represents a 1.72% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 135,215 shares of company stock valued at $15,304,608. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.