Howland Capital Management LLC Acquires 5,570 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Howland Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 365,781 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,570 shares during the period. Walmart comprises approximately 1.4% of Howland Capital Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. Howland Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $37,697,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Walmart by 28.8% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,868,000 after acquiring an additional 21,939 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Walmart by 5.8% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $800,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares in the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 3.5% in the first quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,416,000 after purchasing an additional 1,715 shares during the last quarter. Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth about $333,000. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 0.9% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 13,008 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,272,000 after buying an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Executive succession clarified: John Furner will become CEO next month and promoted longtime insider David Guggina to CEO of Walmart U.S., a move investors interpret as continuity-focused and supportive for execution on omnichannel and AI strategies. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: AI/digital momentum: Coverage highlights Walmart’s AI initiatives and partnerships (Google/Alphabet, OpenAI/ChatGPT) as starting to produce sales/efficiency upside — a strategic story driving valuation premium and analyst optimism. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Fintech and ancillary growth: Walmart‑backed OnePay reached a $4B valuation milestone, signaling potential non‑retail upside from financial-services partnerships. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Multiple firms recently reiterated/raised Buy/Outperform views and targets, reinforcing short‑term institutional demand. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive positioning: Analysts note Walmart is narrowing Amazon’s online lead — a positive strategic trend but one that still leaves intense competition and execution requirements. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Several senior execs disclosed share sales (combined millions), which can be interpreted as routine diversification but may pressure sentiment short term. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: International leadership turnover: Walmart International CEO Kathryn McLay will depart (staying through transition), raising near‑term succession and execution questions for overseas growth. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/tax uncertainty: India’s top court is set to rule on tax treatment of the 2018 Flipkart stake sale (Tiger Global → Walmart), a potential precedent with financial or reputational implications. Read More.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Donna Morris sold 9,384 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.19, for a total value of $1,127,862.96. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 536,312 shares in the company, valued at approximately $64,459,339.28. This trade represents a 1.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.57, for a total value of $2,127,411.12. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,334,747 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $474,958,228.79. This represents a 0.45% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 139,215 shares of company stock worth $15,502,810 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on WMT. Tigress Financial raised their price target on Walmart from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $126.00 target price (up from $123.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $123.00 price target (up previously from $111.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 price objective (up previously from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday. Thirty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $123.03.

Walmart Trading Up 0.4%

NASDAQ WMT opened at $119.70 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $79.81 and a 52 week high of $121.24. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $111.49 and a 200 day moving average price of $104.54. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm has a market cap of $954.03 billion, a PE ratio of 41.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.02. Walmart had a net margin of 3.26% and a return on equity of 21.31%. The business had revenue of $179.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $175.15 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.58 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.