Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd Acquires Shares of 29,042 Walmart Inc. $WMT

Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 29,042 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $2,993,000. Walmart makes up approximately 1.5% of Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest position.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in WMT. MGB Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 1.9% in the third quarter. MGB Wealth Management LLC now owns 38,744 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,993,000 after acquiring an additional 728 shares in the last quarter. LeClair Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 27.2% in the 3rd quarter. LeClair Wealth Partners LLC now owns 5,499 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $567,000 after purchasing an additional 1,177 shares during the last quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH now owns 186,811 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $19,600,000 after purchasing an additional 10,608 shares in the last quarter. TIAA Trust National Association lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 3.5% during the third quarter. TIAA Trust National Association now owns 568,734 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $58,614,000 after purchasing an additional 19,112 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Banco Santander S.A. grew its stake in Walmart by 30.1% in the third quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 853,104 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $87,921,000 after purchasing an additional 197,335 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $124.42 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $991.65 billion, a PE ratio of 45.41, a P/E/G ratio of 5.07 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $120.17 and a 200 day moving average price of $109.91. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $79.81 and a 52-week high of $134.69.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.66 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s payout ratio is 34.31%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price objective on Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $140.00 price target (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, February 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Walmart from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $133.67.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.99, for a total transaction of $1,574,868.75. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 727,155 shares in the company, valued at approximately $87,251,328.45. This represents a 1.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total value of $4,158,004.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 533,466 shares in the company, valued at $65,082,852. This trade represents a 6.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 242,487 shares of company stock valued at $29,369,548 in the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart authorized a new $30 billion share‑repurchase program, recently completed a roughly $16.14 billion buyback and approved a $0.99 per‑share annual dividend — actions that return capital to shareholders and support the stock. How Investors May Respond To Walmart E‑commerce Strength And New US$30 Billion Buyback Plan
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have been raising targets and ratings after Walmart’s quarter and strategy — TD Cowen lifted its target and Bernstein has become more constructive, which can support further inflows. TD Cowen Raises Walmart Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding tech-driven store capabilities (Scintilla In‑Store) and rolling select private/partner brands nationwide — moves that bolster e‑commerce/omnichannel margins and advertising/marketplace growth. Walmart Supplier Tech And New Brands Reframe Stores As Data Platforms
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart management will participate in upcoming investor events with live webcasts — increases transparency and gives analysts a forum to ask questions, but is informational rather than catalytic. Walmart Leadership to Participate in Upcoming Investor Events
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart agreed to settle with the FTC over deceptive pay/tip representations in its Spark driver program — the headline figure reported is $100 million, and the company will also pay roughly $16 million directly to drivers as part of relief. This is a reputational/legal hit and a near‑term cash charge (though small versus Walmart’s scale). Walmart Agrees to $100 Million FTC Settlement Over Driver Pay Walmart agrees to pay $16 million to Spark drivers
• Negative Sentiment: An insider sale (John Furner sold 13,125 shares) and some post‑earnings pressure were reported — insider selling and short‑term volatility can add downward pressure on sentiment even if not indicative of long‑term fundamentals. John Furner Sells Shares

Walmart Company 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.