Walmart Inc. $WMT Position Decreased by American National Bank & Trust

American National Bank & Trust decreased its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 2.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 266,341 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 5,589 shares during the quarter. Walmart comprises about 2.8% of American National Bank & Trust’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest position. American National Bank & Trust’s holdings in Walmart were worth $29,673,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 188.1% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,199,907,000 after buying an additional 7,614,172 shares during the last quarter. Amundi increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 20.5% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 23,497,921 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,413,236,000 after acquiring an additional 4,004,277 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 435,652,710 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $44,898,368,000 after acquiring an additional 3,835,200 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $294,621,000. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth approximately $273,784,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on WMT shares. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 target price (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. CICC Research started coverage on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, December 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $130.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.76.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group upgraded Walmart from “hold” to “strong-buy,” signaling institutional confidence and likely supporting demand for the shares. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: A bullish analyst note projects steady growth and a 12-month price target (~$130.57), giving investors a modest upside thesis tied to continued execution. Walmart Price Prediction: Steady Growth Makes Analysts Bullish
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart will pay its second 2026 dividend on April 6, which supports income-focused holders and can reduce near-term selling pressure around income flows. Walmart to pay 2026’s second dividend in April; Here’s how much 100 WMT shares will earn
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is testing a Sam’s Club membership fee increase and raising rewards caps — a sign of pricing power and potential margin upside if membership retention holds. Walmart Tests Sam’s Club Fee Hike Against Member Value And Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts/coverage note Walmart is shifting toward growth via expanding ad revenue and memberships, and Sam’s Club expansion, which helps operating income outpace sales — a longer-term positive re-rating catalyst. Walmart Stock Is Transforming Into a Growth Stock. Is It Time to Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmex (Walmart’s Mexico unit) plans a $2.5B 2026 investment, signaling international expansion and capacity spending that could support future top-line growth. Walmart (WMT) Unit Walmex Plans $2.5B Investment in Mexico
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and pundit commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer) express bullish technical and sentiment views, which can amplify momentum trading but are less material than fundamental catalysts. Jim Cramer on Walmart
• Neutral Sentiment: Reporting shows Walmart shoppers so far are holding up despite ~$4 gas — a sign of resilience but also a watch item if fuel prices keep rising. Walmart shoppers aren’t breaking under the weight of $4 gas (yet)
• Negative Sentiment: An AOL piece highlights a Walmart-related recession indicator at its highest since 2008 — a macro risk that could pressure consumer spending and margins if the signal proves accurate. A Walmart-related recession indicator is at its highest since the 2008 financial crisis

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total value of $2,445,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 506,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $61,962,034.28. This represents a 3.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.10, for a total value of $1,694,437.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 591,084 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $76,308,944.40. This trade represents a 2.17% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 274,278 shares of company stock valued at $33,825,793 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT opened at $125.79 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.79 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 company has a 50 day moving average of $124.97 and a two-hundred day moving average of $114.36. The company has a market cap of $1.00 trillion, a P/E ratio of 45.91, a P/E/G ratio of 4.69 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm 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. On average, analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.13%.

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.