Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Bought by Equitable Trust Co.

Equitable Trust Co. lifted its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 71,512 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,800 shares during the period. Equitable Trust Co.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $7,370,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new stake in Walmart during the third quarter worth about $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Roble Belko & Company Inc lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 212.6% in the 3rd quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 322 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the topic of several research reports. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and issued a $120.00 price target (up previously from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, November 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday. CICC Research started coverage on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, December 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $145.00 price target (up from $128.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $145.00 price objective (up from $136.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $132.53.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.83, for a total value of $2,171,291.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,315,333 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $482,583,689.39. The trade was a 0.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.99, for a total transaction of $1,574,868.75. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 727,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $87,251,328.45. This represents a 1.77% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 211,696 shares of company stock worth $25,176,467. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

Walmart stock opened at $122.99 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $980.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.97 and a beta of 0.65. 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 Inc. has a 52 week low of $79.81 and a 52 week high of $134.69. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $119.37 and a 200-day moving average of $109.37.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The company 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 business’s revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.66 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The firm 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 dividend of $0.2475 per share. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is 34.31%.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management highlights AI/automation and faster e‑commerce growth, which should support margin and productivity improvements over time. The future of retail is AI
• Positive Sentiment: Several brokers raised price targets or reaffirmed buy/outperform calls (Telsey, BTIG, Truist), which provides near‑term support and buyer interest. Telsey raises target
• Positive Sentiment: Board boosted shareholder returns — annual dividend raised to $0.99 and the company has been authorizing buybacks, which underpins cash‑return support. Dividend increase press release
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional activity shows accumulation in recent quarters and some technical analysts view the current pullback as a buying opportunity around $120–$110. That can stabilize downside but may not trigger an immediate rally. MarketBeat buy thesis
• Neutral Sentiment: An EVP sold a small block (1,255 shares) disclosed on a Form 4 — immaterial relative to his total holdings and likely routine liquidity. SEC filing
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance disappointed — FY‑2027 EPS and Q1 guidance came in below consensus and management used cautious language; this guidance miss is the primary driver of today’s selloff. Q4 press release / slides
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and bearish commentary argue that expected operating‑income gains don’t fully justify high multiples, prompting some investors to trim positions. Seeking Alpha valuation critique
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive narrative: Amazon now surpasses Walmart in annual revenue — symbolic but it focuses investor attention on competitive pressure and growth strategy execution. Amazon surpasses Walmart
• Negative Sentiment: Limited analyst downgrades (HSBC cut to Hold) add to selling pressure from cautious funds. WMT Downgrade video

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.