Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Acquired by Bank of Montreal Can

Bank of Montreal Can grew its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 5.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 11,289,949 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 552,800 shares during the quarter. Bank of Montreal Can owned about 0.14% of Walmart worth $1,163,542,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Collier Financial purchased a new position in Walmart in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new stake in Walmart during the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 212.6% during the 3rd quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 322 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total transaction of $4,158,004.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 533,466 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $65,082,852. This trade represents a 6.01% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 279,703 shares of company stock worth $34,140,843 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is trading near 52‑week highs and is being highlighted as a long‑term favorite as new growth avenues (e‑commerce, advertising) support upside and buyer momentum. 2 Long Term Favorite Stocks Trading Near 52-Week Highs
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s long record of dividend increases and defensive retail positioning is cited favorably by income‑oriented investors, reinforcing buy‑and‑hold appeal. 2 Best Dividend Stocks to Buy Now and Hold Forever
• Positive Sentiment: Management continuity under new CEO John Furner—an internal, experienced operator—reduces execution risk and reassures investors about strategy continuity. Here’s Everything Investors Need to Know About Walmart’s New CEO, John Furner
• Positive Sentiment: Macro consumption trends (a shift toward more price‑conscious shoppers) and retail ETFs that overweight discount/warehouse players give Walmart exposure to potential inflows as consumers tighten budgets. (MarketBeat coverage of ETF themes; Walmart is a meaningful holding in retail ETFs.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative to Costco, Walmart’s fast‑growing ad and e‑commerce businesses are positives, but Costco’s superior comps and membership economics justify a premium—this frames valuation comparisons for investors considering sector allocation. Walmart vs. Costco: Which Stock Is the Better Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Significant Walton Family trust share sales (recent ~$220M block) have reduced insider ownership and raise near‑term supply/valuation questions — a bearish catalyst when combined with prior 2025 sell‑downs. Walton Family Trust Sells Walmart Inc. (WMT) Shares Valued at $220 Million
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart agreed to a roughly $100M settlement tied to its Spark Driver delivery program and will face new compliance measures—this raises one‑time costs and operational oversight concerns. Walmart Insider Sales And Spark Driver Settlement Frame Valuation Questions
• Negative Sentiment: Escalating geopolitical tensions have pushed crude and gasoline prices sharply higher; rising fuel costs can dent discretionary spend and curb store traffic, which is a downside risk for Walmart’s US volumes and margins. Walmart and three retailers most at risk from rising gasoline prices

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 target price (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and issued a $120.00 price objective (up from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $140.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, February 9th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 target price on Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $145.00 target price (up from $128.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 13th. One 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. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $135.76.

Walmart Stock Up 0.4%

WMT opened at $124.32 on Tuesday. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $79.81 and a 52 week high of $134.69. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $122.11 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $111.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The company has a market cap of $990.85 billion, a PE ratio of 45.37, a P/E/G ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The company’s revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $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. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.31%.

Walmart Company 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.