Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Acquired by Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 1.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 1,126,454 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 10,740 shares during the period. Walmart makes up approximately 2.0% of Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $125,498,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the third quarter valued at $1,709,000. CWM LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 24.2% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,175,703 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $121,168,000 after acquiring an additional 229,220 shares during the period. Neuberger Berman Group LLC raised its stake in Walmart by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 5,091,126 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $497,771,000 after acquiring an additional 42,645 shares during the last quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. raised its stake in Walmart by 16.6% in the 3rd quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 63,782 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $6,567,000 after acquiring an additional 9,061 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its position in Walmart by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,010,886 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $104,182,000 after acquiring an additional 28,026 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of WMT opened at $122.18 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $79.81 and a 52 week high of $134.69. 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 capitalization of $974.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.59, a PEG ratio of 4.58 and a beta of 0.66. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $124.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $113.37.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly 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. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The company had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.66 earnings per share. Walmart’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. 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, sell-side analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.2475 per share. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s payout ratio is 36.13%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total value of $4,158,004.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 533,466 shares in the company, valued at $65,082,852. The trade was a 6.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,274,856 shares in the company, valued at $509,434,589.52. This trade represents a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 254,862 shares of company stock worth $31,434,518. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies and other outlets highlight Walmart emerging as a frontrunner in retail AI adoption — a potential catalyst for faster online growth, better margins via automation and personalization, and competitive advantage vs. peers. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is rolling out The Farmer’s Dog products in stores and online, expanding into premium pet food — a higher‑margin, recurring category that can boost average basket values and online penetration. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Industry coverage frames Walmart’s long‑term online transformation (“second act”) toward a larger e‑commerce footprint, reinforcing the narrative that digital growth remains a core upside driver. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative pieces weighing Amazon vs. Walmart keep the stock in focus but offer limited near‑term directional impact — they underscore valuation and execution tradeoffs investors should monitor. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: CNBC reports outgoing CEOs (including former Walmart CEO Doug McMillon) citing AI as a driver for leadership changes — signals corporate emphasis on AI but not an immediate operational shock. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentators (Jim Cramer) note Walmart among retailers that could hold up if macro slows (e.g., from lower oil prices), a thematic support for defensive retail exposure. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Berger Montague has opened an investigation into Walmart’s board over alleged oversight failures related to deceptive pay practices for Spark drivers — introduces legal, governance and reputational risk that could prompt costs or settlements. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst pieces flag high valuation and mounting headwinds that could warrant downgrades — a risk to near‑term performance given WMT’s elevated P/E and limited upside vs. consensus targets. Read More.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $145.00 price target on Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 price objective (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $140.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, February 9th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $140.00 target price (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.76.

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.