Banco Santander S.A. Acquires 197,335 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Banco Santander S.A. raised its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 30.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 853,104 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 197,335 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for about 0.8% of Banco Santander S.A.’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding. Banco Santander S.A.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $87,921,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 5.1% in the 3rd quarter. Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC now owns 6,919 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $713,000 after acquiring an additional 334 shares in the last quarter. Lansing Street Advisors boosted its position in Walmart by 9.4% during the third quarter. Lansing Street Advisors now owns 4,462 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $460,000 after purchasing an additional 382 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 6.3% in the third quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 70,279 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,140,000 after purchasing an additional 4,174 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 13.5% in the third quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC now owns 78,846 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,126,000 after purchasing an additional 9,369 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hohimer Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 16.3% during the 3rd quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,885 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $607,000 after purchasing an additional 823 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Stock Down 1.1%

WMT stock opened at $124.42 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $120.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $109.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $991.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.41, a PEG ratio of 5.07 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $79.81 and a fifty-two week high of $134.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. Walmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.66 earnings per share. 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, equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s payout ratio is 34.31%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on WMT shares. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $130.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, January 18th. KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating and set a $145.00 price objective (up from $128.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 13th. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, December 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $133.67.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart authorized a new $30 billion share‑repurchase program, recently completed a roughly $16.14 billion buyback and approved a $0.99 per‑share annual dividend — actions that return capital to shareholders and support the stock. How Investors May Respond To Walmart E‑commerce Strength And New US$30 Billion Buyback Plan
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have been raising targets and ratings after Walmart’s quarter and strategy — TD Cowen lifted its target and Bernstein has become more constructive, which can support further inflows. TD Cowen Raises Walmart Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding tech-driven store capabilities (Scintilla In‑Store) and rolling select private/partner brands nationwide — moves that bolster e‑commerce/omnichannel margins and advertising/marketplace growth. Walmart Supplier Tech And New Brands Reframe Stores As Data Platforms
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart management will participate in upcoming investor events with live webcasts — increases transparency and gives analysts a forum to ask questions, but is informational rather than catalytic. Walmart Leadership to Participate in Upcoming Investor Events
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart agreed to settle with the FTC over deceptive pay/tip representations in its Spark driver program — the headline figure reported is $100 million, and the company will also pay roughly $16 million directly to drivers as part of relief. This is a reputational/legal hit and a near‑term cash charge (though small versus Walmart’s scale). Walmart Agrees to $100 Million FTC Settlement Over Driver Pay Walmart agrees to pay $16 million to Spark drivers
• Negative Sentiment: An insider sale (John Furner sold 13,125 shares) and some post‑earnings pressure were reported — insider selling and short‑term volatility can add downward pressure on sentiment even if not indicative of long‑term fundamentals. John Furner Sells Shares

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total value of $1,214,600.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 108,294 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,153,389.24. This trade represents a 8.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total value of $4,158,004.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 533,466 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $65,082,852. This trade represents a 6.01% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 242,487 shares of company stock valued at $29,369,548 over the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart Company 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.