Walmart Inc. $WMT Stock Position Cut by Atria Investments Inc

Atria Investments Inc decreased its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 6.5% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 305,904 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 21,167 shares during the period. Atria Investments Inc’s holdings in Walmart were worth $31,526,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Collier Financial bought a new position in Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Walmart during the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in Walmart during the third quarter worth about $28,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc raised its position in Walmart by 212.6% in the third quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 322 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at about $39,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, EVP Donna Morris sold 76,181 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.79, for a total transaction of $9,430,445.99. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 402,072 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $49,772,492.88. This represents a 15.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total transaction of $2,445,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 506,764 shares in the company, valued at $61,962,034.28. The trade was a 3.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 229,196 shares of company stock worth $26,957,858 in the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher targets: BTIG raised its price target from $125 to $140 and reiterated a buy rating, and other outlets report recent analyst upgrades that helped push WMT to a new 52‑week high — a driver of near‑term upside as momentum and analyst sentiment attract buyers. BTIG price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying: Fisher Asset Management materially increased its Walmart stake, signaling confidence from a large investor and supporting share demand. Institutional flows can sustain rallies and validate valuation at higher multiples. Fisher stake boost
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness on long‑term growth/valuation: Mizuho and other analysts published bullish forecasts and pieces arguing WMT’s steady sales growth, market‑share gains and higher‑margin businesses justify a premium multiple — supporting investor conviction at current levels. Mizuho forecast
• Neutral Sentiment: Omnichannel and next‑gen stores: Coverage of Walmart’s Jacksonville Supercenter highlights execution on faster delivery, improved store layouts and digital integration — long‑term positives but benefits will play out over quarters. These initiatives underpin the growth story but don’t remove near‑term volatility. Jacksonville Supercenter report
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro retail data mixed: December retail sales were flat, which is a caution for consumer spending trends; analysts still list Walmart among value winners if shoppers “trade down,” so macro data is a watch item rather than an immediate verdict. Retail sales stall
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive landscape: Kroger’s hiring of Greg Foran (ex‑Walmart U.S.) adds a credible competitor focused on store execution; this raises the strategic stakes but is a longer‑term competitive dynamic. Kroger leadership change
• Negative Sentiment: Estée Lauder lawsuit over counterfeit marketplace listings: Estée Lauder sued Walmart alleging third‑party sellers sold counterfeit premium beauty brands and that Walmart facilitated those sales. Legal exposure, potential damages, and reputational risk could pressure shares if the case leads to material liability or forces costly marketplace changes. Estée Lauder lawsuit

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on WMT shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $140.00 target price (up from $126.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Walmart from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, BTIG Research lifted their price target on Walmart from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Thirty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $127.19.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT stock opened at $128.77 on Thursday. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $79.81 and a fifty-two week high of $131.79. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $117.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $107.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The firm has a market cap of $1.03 trillion, a P/E ratio of 45.02, a PEG ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 0.65.

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

Walmart Profile

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.