DNB Asset Management AS Reduces Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

DNB Asset Management AS lessened its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 9.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,739,021 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 182,507 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for 0.7% of DNB Asset Management AS’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. DNB Asset Management AS’s holdings in Walmart were worth $179,224,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of WMT. Collier Financial bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the second quarter valued at $26,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new stake in Walmart during the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the third quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, 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 in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.99, for a total transaction of $1,574,868.75. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 727,155 shares in the company, valued at $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 available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total transaction of $4,158,004.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 533,466 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,082,852. The trade was a 6.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 242,487 shares of company stock worth $29,369,548. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting 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 Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $124.42 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $120.17 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $109.91. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $79.81 and a 52 week high of $134.69. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $991.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.41, a PEG ratio of 5.07 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.66 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. 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, analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s payout ratio is 34.31%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on WMT shares. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price objective on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $135.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $140.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Walmart from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $133.67.

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.