Advisors Asset Management Inc. Has $86.14 Million Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Advisors Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 835,807 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 7,333 shares during the quarter. Walmart comprises 1.5% of Advisors Asset Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest position. Advisors Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $86,138,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the third quarter worth $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc raised its stake in Walmart by 212.6% during the third quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 322 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the period. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the third quarter worth about $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on WMT shares. Truist Financial set a $127.00 target price on Walmart in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $121.00 price objective on Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $125.00 target price (up from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, December 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. Finally, KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $128.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Thirty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $126.26.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,388 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total transaction of $166,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 645,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $77,477,040. This trade represents a 0.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.99, for a total value of $1,574,868.75. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 727,155 shares in the company, valued at approximately $87,251,328.45. The trade was a 1.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 229,196 shares of company stock worth $26,957,858. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart Trading Down 1.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $126.76 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $117.07 and a 200-day moving average of $107.67. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm has a market cap of $1.01 trillion, a P/E ratio of 44.32, a P/E/G ratio of 4.93 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $79.81 and a twelve month high of $131.79.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $179.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $175.15 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.31% and a net margin of 3.26%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.58 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Next‑gen stores: Walmart’s Jacksonville Supercenter rollout highlights faster delivery, improved store layouts and deeper digital integration — evidence the company can drive omnichannel sales and margins over time. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Mizuho raised its WMT price target (to $137) and continues to rate the stock outperform — a catalyst that can support sentiment and attract buyers into any weakness. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: AI/tech strategy: Coverage notes Walmart is partnering with big tech (Amazon/Meta/Alphabet-led AI activity) to accelerate digital capabilities without matching their mega capex — potential long‑term benefit but uncertain timing and economics. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Major legal risk — Estée Lauder lawsuit: Estée Lauder sued Walmart alleging counterfeit La Mer, Le Labo, Clinique, Aveda and Tom Ford products were sold via Walmart’s online marketplace and accuses Walmart of facilitating those sales. The suit seeks injunctions and damages; the case raises reputational, liability and potential marketplace‑oversight costs. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Soft retail data: December retail sales were flat (missing expectations), a sign consumer spending momentum cooled — a macro headwind that could pressure Walmart’s comps and margin leverage in the near term. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive risk — Kroger hires ex‑Walmart CEO for U.S. Greg Foran: Kroger’s leadership hire could sharpen competition in grocery and store execution, putting incremental pressure on Walmart’s U.S. share and margins if Kroger executes well. Read More.

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.