Asset Planning Services Inc. LA ADV Reduces Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Asset Planning Services Inc. LA ADV trimmed its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 6.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 92,875 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 6,760 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for 4.6% of Asset Planning Services Inc. LA ADV’s portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Asset Planning Services Inc. LA ADV’s holdings in Walmart were worth $10,347,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Dorato Capital Management purchased a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $1,377,000. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 14.0% in the fourth quarter. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 19,041 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,121,000 after acquiring an additional 2,343 shares during the last quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 37.9% during the fourth quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. now owns 28,325 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,156,000 after acquiring an additional 7,785 shares in the last quarter. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 5.4% during the fourth quarter. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 98,286 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $10,950,000 after acquiring an additional 5,057 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SWS Partners raised its position in shares of Walmart by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. SWS Partners now owns 29,235 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,257,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $140.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $135.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $147.00 price target (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $135.76.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT opened at $125.79 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $124.97 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $114.28. The company has a market capitalization of $1.00 trillion, a PE ratio of 45.91, a PEG ratio of 4.69 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 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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.66 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.13%.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group upgraded Walmart from “hold” to “strong-buy,” signaling institutional confidence and likely supporting demand for the shares. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: A bullish analyst note projects steady growth and a 12-month price target (~$130.57), giving investors a modest upside thesis tied to continued execution. Walmart Price Prediction: Steady Growth Makes Analysts Bullish
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart will pay its second 2026 dividend on April 6, which supports income-focused holders and can reduce near-term selling pressure around income flows. Walmart to pay 2026’s second dividend in April; Here’s how much 100 WMT shares will earn
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is testing a Sam’s Club membership fee increase and raising rewards caps — a sign of pricing power and potential margin upside if membership retention holds. Walmart Tests Sam’s Club Fee Hike Against Member Value And Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts/coverage note Walmart is shifting toward growth via expanding ad revenue and memberships, and Sam’s Club expansion, which helps operating income outpace sales — a longer-term positive re-rating catalyst. Walmart Stock Is Transforming Into a Growth Stock. Is It Time to Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmex (Walmart’s Mexico unit) plans a $2.5B 2026 investment, signaling international expansion and capacity spending that could support future top-line growth. Walmart (WMT) Unit Walmex Plans $2.5B Investment in Mexico
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and pundit commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer) express bullish technical and sentiment views, which can amplify momentum trading but are less material than fundamental catalysts. Jim Cramer on Walmart
• Neutral Sentiment: Reporting shows Walmart shoppers so far are holding up despite ~$4 gas — a sign of resilience but also a watch item if fuel prices keep rising. Walmart shoppers aren’t breaking under the weight of $4 gas (yet)
• Negative Sentiment: An AOL piece highlights a Walmart-related recession indicator at its highest since 2008 — a macro risk that could pressure consumer spending and margins if the signal proves accurate. A Walmart-related recession indicator is at its highest since the 2008 financial crisis

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.10, for a total value of $1,694,437.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 591,084 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $76,308,944.40. This represents a 2.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.17, for a total transaction of $2,313,804.72. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 4,274,856 shares in the company, valued at approximately $509,434,589.52. The trade was a 0.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 274,278 shares of company stock valued at $33,825,793. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.