Sovran Advisors LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Sovran Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 69.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 35,857 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,742 shares during the quarter. Sovran Advisors LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $4,274,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the third quarter valued at $1,709,000. CWM LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 24.2% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,175,703 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $121,168,000 after acquiring an additional 229,220 shares during the period. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. lifted its stake in Walmart by 16.6% in the third 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 period. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its holdings 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 in the last quarter. Finally, World Investment Advisors increased its position in Walmart by 5.2% during the 3rd quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 293,866 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $30,286,000 after purchasing an additional 14,487 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the subject of several recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $145.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 target price on Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $130.00 price target (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $135.76.

Walmart Price Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $125.79 on Monday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $124.97 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $114.43. The firm has a market capitalization 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. 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 12-month low of $79.81 and a 12-month high of $134.69.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.66 EPS. The business’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. Analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 10,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total value of $1,214,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 108,294 shares in the company, valued at $13,153,389.24. This trade represents a 8.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.16, for a total transaction of $2,391,274.56. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,213,406 shares in the company, valued at approximately $518,923,082.96. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 274,278 shares of company stock valued at $33,825,793. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Walmart News

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

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.