Exchange Traded Concepts LLC Reduces Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Exchange Traded Concepts LLC cut its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 6.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 202,706 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 13,716 shares during the period. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $22,583,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Collier Financial bought a new position in Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Roble Belko & Company Inc increased its position in shares of Walmart by 212.6% during the third quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 322 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the period. 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: 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)

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on WMT. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $145.00 target price on Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 target price on Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and set a $134.00 price target (up from $129.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.76.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total value of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $62,203,571.56. The trade was a 3.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total transaction of $1,600,725.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 687,287 shares in the company, valued at approximately $83,821,522.52. The trade was a 1.87% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 274,278 shares of company stock valued at $33,825,793. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $122.89 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $79.81 and a fifty-two week high of $134.69. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $124.35 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $113.59. The stock has a market cap of $979.73 billion, a PE ratio of 44.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.58 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.79.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released 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 net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.66 earnings per share. The business’s 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 anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued 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 36.13%.

About Walmart

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.