Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC Buys 33,076 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 23.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 171,253 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 33,076 shares during the quarter. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $19,079,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the second quarter worth $5,367,770,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 9,648.7% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,486,374 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,123,138,000 after acquiring an additional 11,368,549 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 188.1% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,199,907,000 after acquiring an additional 7,614,172 shares in the last quarter. Amundi boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 20.5% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 23,497,921 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,413,236,000 after acquiring an additional 4,004,277 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Walmart by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 435,652,710 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $44,898,368,000 after acquiring an additional 3,835,200 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Growing AI narrative and modest analyst upside: coverage notes that Walmart’s AI investments (supply-chain, store ops) are reshaping its growth story and one valuation model nudged fair value slightly higher to ~$136, supporting longer-term upside. This bolsters bullish investor interest in WMT as a tech-enabled retailer. How Walmart (WMT) Is Rewriting Its Story With AI Hype And Valuation Questions
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/technical support for defensive retail: coverage from Barron’s highlights Walmart alongside other defensive retail names on both technical and fundamental grounds, which can attract risk-off flows and relative-strength buyers in uncertain markets. Walmart, Ross Stores, and Other ‘Defensive’ Retail Stocks
• Positive Sentiment: Market narrative that Walmart is an AI play: features arguing Walmart (and Target) are meaningful AI plays could lift investor conviction around margin improvement and efficiency gains over time. Forget Chipmakers: Walmart and Target Are the Real AI Plays
• Neutral Sentiment: Higher-than-usual call buying: intraday activity showed a ~42% increase in call option volume, which signals bullish positioning but could be speculative or short-term. Watch whether this leads to sustained buying or just short-term gamma flow.
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO transition focus: commentary on managing and positioning around CEO transitions notes both risk and opportunity — transitions can create volatility but also potential strategic shifts. Investors should watch messaging and execution from leadership. How to Play 3 Major CEO Transitions in Early 2026 (WMT)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by CEO: CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares (~1.87% reduction in his position) in a disclosed SEC filing — insider sales can be interpreted negatively by some investors even if part of routine diversification. Insider Sale SEC Filing

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, EVP Donna Morris sold 76,181 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.79, for a total transaction of $9,430,445.99. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 402,072 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $49,772,492.88. This trade represents a 15.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.83, for a total transaction of $2,171,291.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 4,315,333 shares in the company, valued at approximately $482,583,689.39. The trade was a 0.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 274,278 shares of company stock worth $33,605,809. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Trading Down 1.7%

NASDAQ WMT opened at $119.02 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $124.08 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $112.85. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $79.81 and a 12 month high of $134.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $948.88 billion, a PE ratio of 43.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.43 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

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

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on WMT shares. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 target price on Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Tigress Financial set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $135.76.

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.