Bank of New York Mellon Corp Trims Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Bank of New York Mellon Corp decreased its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 0.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 29,311,383 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 226,362 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for approximately 0.5% of Bank of New York Mellon Corp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Bank of New York Mellon Corp’s holdings in Walmart were worth $3,020,831,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. CWM LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 24.2% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,175,703 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $121,168,000 after purchasing an additional 229,220 shares in the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 5,091,126 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $497,771,000 after buying an additional 42,645 shares in the last quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 16.6% during the third quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 63,782 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $6,567,000 after acquiring an additional 9,061 shares during the last quarter. Aviva PLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 16.4% in the second quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 3,833,720 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $374,861,000 after acquiring an additional 539,504 shares in the last quarter. Finally, World Investment Advisors raised its stake in Walmart by 5.2% in 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 last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

Walmart stock opened at $116.94 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $113.67 and a 200-day simple moving average of $105.63. The stock has a market cap of $932.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.02 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.24. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $79.81 and a 1-year high of $121.62.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.02. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.31% and a net margin of 3.26%.The company had revenue of $179.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $175.15 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.58 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WMT has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, January 18th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $125.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $121.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. CICC Research assumed coverage on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, December 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Walmart from $110.00 to $121.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Thirty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Walmart currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $123.20.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP Donna Morris sold 9,384 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.19, for a total transaction 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 $64,459,339.28. This trade represents a 1.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.99, for a total transaction of $1,574,868.75. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 727,155 shares in the company, valued at $87,251,328.45. This trade represents a 1.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 135,215 shares of company stock worth $15,304,608. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat argues Walmart’s re-rating as a tech/advertising hybrid is sustaining buying even as executives sell, citing strong ad growth, AI deployment (Sparky) and durable market-share gains — a constructive fundamental narrative supporting higher valuation. Why Walmart Continues to Rally While Executives Sell the Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights rising AI adoption across Walmart’s tech, e‑commerce and operations, which could drive productivity and margin expansion if automation continues to reduce fulfilment costs. Walmart’s AI Adoption Rises
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded WMT to a Buy (Zacks Rank #2), which can attract flow from model-driven funds and near-term buyers who follow upgrades. Walmart (WMT) Upgraded to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart will be the title sponsor of “Walmart Saturday Showdown” for MLS, a marketing tie‑up that boosts brand reach and customer engagement around grocery and e‑commerce promotions. This is a modest but positive commercial initiative. Major League Soccer Unveils Walmart Saturday Showdown
• Neutral Sentiment: Benzinga’s note on options activity highlights increased derivatives flow — useful for sentiment and short‑term volatility signals, but not a standalone reason for a sustained directional move. Decoding Walmart’s Options Activity
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple reports document significant insider selling (including the outgoing CEO’s ~$2.3M sale), which can spook some investors despite management explanations tied to the leadership transition and routine diversification. Insider Selling: Walmart CEO Sells $2,313,804.72 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: 247WallSt published a negative quality study on Walmart that may feed headlines and short‑term sentiment pressure among retail investors concerned about service/quality metrics. Walmart Hammered in New Quality Study

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.