Dakota Wealth Management Raises Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Dakota Wealth Management lifted its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 17.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 106,321 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 16,125 shares during the quarter. Dakota Wealth Management’s holdings in Walmart were worth $11,845,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth $1,709,000. CWM LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 24.2% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,175,703 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $121,168,000 after buying an additional 229,220 shares in the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 5,091,126 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $497,771,000 after buying an additional 42,645 shares in the last quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 16.6% in the 3rd quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 63,782 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $6,567,000 after acquiring an additional 9,061 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,010,886 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $104,182,000 after acquiring an additional 28,026 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price objective on Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $145.00 target price on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $145.00 target price (up from $136.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 price target on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $135.76.

Walmart Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $122.89 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The company has a market cap of $979.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.85, a PEG ratio of 4.55 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $79.81 and a 1 year high of $134.69. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $124.35 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $113.51.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced 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. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business 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. Research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s payout ratio is presently 36.13%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.17, for a total value of $2,313,804.72. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 4,274,856 shares in the company, valued at $509,434,589.52. This trade represents a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total value of $2,445,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 506,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $61,962,034.28. This trade represents a 3.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 274,278 shares of company stock worth $33,825,793 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlight Walmart’s accelerating digital initiatives (AI tools, ads, memberships) and a disciplined buyback program that can lift margins and justify a higher multiple — a primary driver of investor optimism. Assessing Walmart (WMT) Valuation As Digital Growth AI Tools And Buybacks Reshape The Business
• Positive Sentiment: Comparisons to peers (Costco) emphasize Walmart’s omnichannel scale, growing ad business and membership-like initiatives as margin levers — reinforcing the narrative that Walmart can sustain steady, profitable growth vs. competitors. Walmart or Costco: Who’s Winning the Modern Retail Game Right Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader retail comparisons (Amazon, Target) and sector commentary keep Walmart in investors’ crosshairs as a defensive, cash-generative retail leader; these pieces frame relative valuation and strategic positioning but don’t contain immediate catalysts. Amazon vs Walmart: Which is a Better Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noting executive comments about AI and leadership transitions (including past remarks by former CEO Doug McMillon) underscores management focus on AI but is more background than an immediate stock mover. Major outgoing CEOs are citing AI as a factor in their decisions to step down
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory headwinds: Washington state fined Walmart >$380k for selling motor vehicle A/C cans with banned hydrofluorocarbons. The penalty is modest financially but raises scrutiny of compliance and ESG risks, which can affect reputation and investor sentiment. Walmart Fine Raises Questions On Climate Compliance And Investment Risks
• Negative Sentiment: Governance/legal risk: A shareholder law firm is investigating Walmart’s board over alleged oversight failures tied to Spark driver pay practices, which could lead to litigation, reputational harm or regulatory scrutiny if claims advance. Berger Montague PC Investigates Walmart Inc.’s Board of Directors for Breach of Fiduciary Duty (NASDAQ: WMT)

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.