Achmea Investment Management B.V. reduced its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 791,594 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 14,868 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for 1.0% of Achmea Investment Management B.V.’s holdings, making the stock its 14th largest position. Achmea Investment Management B.V.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $81,581,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Walmart by 0.9% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 435,652,710 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $44,898,368,000 after buying an additional 3,835,200 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $19,046,104,000 after acquiring an additional 2,242,364 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth about $5,367,770,000. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Walmart by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,298,623 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,153,176,000 after acquiring an additional 634,211 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 3.6% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 31,973,329 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,126,775,000 after purchasing an additional 1,098,342 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Insider Activity
In other news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $65,082,852. This trade represents a 6.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. The trade was a 3.95% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 265,153 shares of company stock valued at $32,465,924 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.
Trending Headlines about Walmart
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart won U.S. patents for two machine‑learning systems to inform item pricing — a potential margin and competitive improvement if deployed at scale for dynamic pricing and promotions. Walmart Secures Machine Learning Patents for Pricing Items
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart Marketplace expands capabilities via a verified Doba integration, speeding onboarding and automated dropshipping for sellers — supports marketplace assortment and low‑capital inventory expansion. Doba Announces Verified Technical Integration with Walmart Marketplace to Empower Dropshipping Sellers
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst/media pieces highlight Walmart’s faster‑growing e‑commerce and advertising businesses and its AI initiatives — reinforcing the view of higher‑margin revenue streams beyond physical retail. 1 Stock I Plan to Load Up On in 2026
- Neutral Sentiment: Commentary notes Walmart as a recession‑resilient consumer staple, which supports defensive demand for shares in macro uncertainty — a structural positive but not an immediate catalyst. Predictions Markets Are Pointing to a Potential Recession. 3 Stocks to Buy.
- Negative Sentiment: A shareholder law firm launched an investigation into Walmart’s board over alleged deceptive pay practices for Spark drivers — raises governance, litigation and reputational risk that can pressure the stock until resolved. Berger Montague PC Investigates Walmart Inc.’s Board of Directors for Breach of Fiduciary Duty (NASDAQ: WMT)
- Negative Sentiment: Amazon rolled out 1‑hour and 3‑hour shipping in major U.S. markets — intensifying delivery competition and potentially pressuring Walmart’s value proposition and margins on rapid fulfillment. Amazon launches 1-hour shipping in US cities to challenge Walmart
- Negative Sentiment: Walmart‑backed PhonePe paused IPO plans amid Middle East market volatility — delays potential monetization/valuation realization and is a reminder external market conditions can affect Walmart’s non‑core asset strategies. Walmart-backed PhonePe pauses IPO plans as Middle East conflict fuels market volatility
- Negative Sentiment: Analysts warn WMT’s valuation looks rich given the premium multiple assigned for e‑commerce and advertising growth — valuation concerns can amplify downside on disappointing news. Walmart’s Valuation Looks Rich: Should You Stay Invested in the Stock?
Analyst Ratings Changes
WMT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Bank of America started coverage on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $150.00 price target for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $134.00 price objective (up from $129.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Telsey Advisory Group upped their target price on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Tigress Financial set a $150.00 target price on Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, March 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $135.76.
Walmart Price Performance
WMT stock opened at $121.98 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $123.83 and a 200-day simple moving average of $112.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $972.47 billion, a PE ratio of 44.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.66 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $79.81 and a 1 year high of $134.69.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.66 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue 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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Walmart Announces Dividend
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 issued a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is currently 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.
Further Reading
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