Assetmark Inc. Boosts Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Assetmark Inc. increased its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 7.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 328,072 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 22,332 shares during the quarter. Assetmark Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $33,811,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. ICW Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 0.5% in the third quarter. ICW Investment Advisors LLC now owns 39,951 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,117,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in Walmart by 5.4% in the third quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 116,657 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $12,023,000 after acquiring an additional 5,981 shares during the last quarter. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 15.0% during the third quarter. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 711,366 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $73,313,000 after purchasing an additional 92,900 shares during the last quarter. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations raised its position in shares of Walmart by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations now owns 143,671 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $14,807,000 after purchasing an additional 3,795 shares during the period. Finally, PFG Private Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth $227,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Trading Up 0.2%

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $133.89 on Friday. 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 12 month low of $79.81 and a 12 month high of $134.65. The company’s 50 day moving average is $118.11 and its 200-day moving average is $108.25. The firm has a market cap of $1.07 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.81, a P/E/G ratio of 5.11 and a beta of 0.65.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Donna Morris sold 76,181 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.79, for a total value of $9,430,445.99. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 402,072 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,772,492.88. The trade was a 15.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,388 shares of the 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $77,477,040. This trade represents a 0.21% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 229,196 shares of company stock worth $26,957,858. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $140.00 target price (up previously from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $135.00 price target (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, January 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Walmart from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Tigress Financial upped their price target on shares of Walmart from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Thirty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $127.74.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its price target to $140 and kept an Outperform stance, citing a solid Q4 outlook — this helped underpin investor optimism. Oppenheimer price target increased
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage-driven buying: reports noted WMT trading higher after analyst upgrades, which can attract short-term flows ahead of earnings. Walmart trading higher after upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory reaffirmed an Outperform and set a $135 target, reinforcing the buy-side narrative that execution improvements (esp. e‑commerce/AI) justify support. Telsey reaffirmation
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst projections and previews (Zacks) suggest key metrics point to a likely beat on some lines, but they highlight modest growth — expectations are elevated going into Q4. Zacks analyst projections
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart will host its Q4 earnings call on Feb. 19 — this event is the immediate catalyst for volatility as investors weigh AI-driven margin commentary against guidance. Earnings call announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: PRIMECAP trimmed its stake slightly — notable as an institutional action but not large enough to indicate a major shift in ownership stance. PRIMECAP trims stake
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary (Reuters) frames Walmart amid broader AI-driven volatility — investors are watchful for any guidance or AI-related execution risks discussed on the call. Wall St week ahead
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece downgraded WMT, arguing the stock trades at a rich ~50x blended P/E despite execution gains from AI — valuation concerns could cap upside if growth disappoints. Seeking Alpha downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Estée Lauder filed suit alleging counterfeit products sold via Walmart’s marketplace — potential reputational, legal, and marketplace-control implications that investors will watch closely. Estée Lauder sues Walmart

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.