Alliancebernstein L.P. Cuts Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Alliancebernstein L.P. decreased its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 5.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 13,160,564 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 685,649 shares during the quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. owned 0.17% of Walmart worth $1,356,328,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Collier Financial bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new position in Walmart in the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc increased its position in Walmart by 212.6% during the 3rd quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 322 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the period. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the third quarter worth approximately $39,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Trading Up 0.9%

WMT opened at $126.52 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $123.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $111.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.01 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $79.81 and a 1-year high of $134.69.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The company had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.66 EPS. The firm’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. Analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business 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 dividend of $0.2475 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.13%.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at $62,203,571.56. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.10, for a total transaction of $1,694,437.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 591,084 shares in the company, valued at approximately $76,308,944.40. This trade represents a 2.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 279,703 shares of company stock worth $34,140,843 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have commented on WMT shares. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $140.00 price target (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price objective on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $135.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Argus raised Walmart to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and set a $147.00 target price (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $135.76.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart reported continued digital strength: eCommerce grew ~24% in the fiscal fourth quarter, reinforcing its omnichannel momentum and supporting revenue beat and modest upside to guidance — a clear near-term growth driver. Walmart eCommerce Up 24: Can Digital Momentum Continue?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and portfolio shops remain constructive: Tigress Financial reiterated a Buy and raised its price target to $150, citing Walmart’s shift toward tech-driven omnichannel operations — a signal of upward analyst sentiment. Tigress Financial Sees Walmart Inc. (WMT) as Tech-Driven Retail Leader
• Positive Sentiment: Flipkart IPO progress (Walmart-backed) remains a potential longer-term upside — an equity event that could unlock value and generate cash/strategic optionality. Walmart-backed Flipkart preps for an IPO as early as this year
• Neutral Sentiment: Schaeffer’s options commentary flagged bullish setups and the possibility of further record highs for WMT — useful for options traders but not a broad fundamental catalyst. Walmart Stock Could Nab More Record Highs
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysis pieces (The Motley Fool) flag that Walmart’s digital push could pay off if fulfillment economics and ROIC improve; it’s strategic upside but execution-dependent. Will Walmart’s Digital Push Pay Off in 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is referenced in pieces about stock splits and retail-focused ETFs — background thematic support but not an immediate catalyst. 3 ETFs That Could Benefit as Consumers Tighten Their Budgets (WMT)
• Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical risk: coverage notes the Iran war and possible Strait of Hormuz disruptions could push supply-chain costs and retail prices higher — a margin and inflation risk for Walmart. How the Iran war could start to impact U.S. retail prices
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and sentiment pressure: commentary (247WallStreet) highlights retail investor criticism of WMT’s ~46x multiple and recent bearish social sentiment, raising the risk of multiple compression if growth disappoints. Reddit’s Loudest Walmart Critics Have a Point About That 46x Multiple

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.