Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Acquired by Drake & Associates LLC

Drake & Associates LLC increased its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 254.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,929 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 20,045 shares during the quarter. Walmart comprises about 0.6% of Drake & Associates LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position. Drake & Associates LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $2,834,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Collier Financial acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the third quarter valued at about $28,000. 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 worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the third quarter worth about $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business’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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,274,856 shares in the company, valued at approximately $509,434,589.52. The trade was a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,388 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total value of $166,560.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 645,642 shares in the company, valued at $77,477,040. The trade was a 0.21% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 229,196 shares of company stock valued at $26,957,858. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen lowered Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, January 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Walmart from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Walmart from $110.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Truist Financial set a $127.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $128.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Thirty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $127.19.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher targets: BTIG raised its price target from $125 to $140 and reiterated a buy rating, and other outlets report recent analyst upgrades that helped push WMT to a new 52‑week high — a driver of near‑term upside as momentum and analyst sentiment attract buyers. BTIG price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying: Fisher Asset Management materially increased its Walmart stake, signaling confidence from a large investor and supporting share demand. Institutional flows can sustain rallies and validate valuation at higher multiples. Fisher stake boost
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness on long‑term growth/valuation: Mizuho and other analysts published bullish forecasts and pieces arguing WMT’s steady sales growth, market‑share gains and higher‑margin businesses justify a premium multiple — supporting investor conviction at current levels. Mizuho forecast
• Neutral Sentiment: Omnichannel and next‑gen stores: Coverage of Walmart’s Jacksonville Supercenter highlights execution on faster delivery, improved store layouts and digital integration — long‑term positives but benefits will play out over quarters. These initiatives underpin the growth story but don’t remove near‑term volatility. Jacksonville Supercenter report
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro retail data mixed: December retail sales were flat, which is a caution for consumer spending trends; analysts still list Walmart among value winners if shoppers “trade down,” so macro data is a watch item rather than an immediate verdict. Retail sales stall
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive landscape: Kroger’s hiring of Greg Foran (ex‑Walmart U.S.) adds a credible competitor focused on store execution; this raises the strategic stakes but is a longer‑term competitive dynamic. Kroger leadership change
• Negative Sentiment: Estée Lauder lawsuit over counterfeit marketplace listings: Estée Lauder sued Walmart alleging third‑party sellers sold counterfeit premium beauty brands and that Walmart facilitated those sales. Legal exposure, potential damages, and reputational risk could pressure shares if the case leads to material liability or forces costly marketplace changes. Estée Lauder lawsuit

Walmart Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $128.77 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $1.03 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $79.81 and a 12-month high of $131.79. 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 stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $117.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $107.82.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $179.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $175.15 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.31% and a net margin of 3.26%.The firm’s revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.58 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

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.