Central Pacific Bank Trust Division Purchases 9,942 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Central Pacific Bank Trust Division grew its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 49.0% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 30,249 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 9,942 shares during the quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division’s holdings in Walmart were worth $3,370,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. RDA Financial Network increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. RDA Financial Network now owns 27,445 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,058,000 after buying an additional 228 shares in the last quarter. Clark Financial Services Group Inc. BD increased its holdings in Walmart by 91.7% during the 4th quarter. Clark Financial Services Group Inc. BD now owns 5,936 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $669,000 after purchasing an additional 2,839 shares in the last quarter. Collective Family Office LLC raised its position in Walmart by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Collective Family Office LLC now owns 5,716 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $637,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Fulcrum Equity Management raised its position in Walmart by 6.7% in the 4th quarter. Fulcrum Equity Management now owns 16,775 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,869,000 after purchasing an additional 1,048 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Eagle Wealth Strategies LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Eagle Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 3,328 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $371,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Trading Down 1.7%

NASDAQ WMT opened at $119.02 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $79.81 and a 12 month high of $134.69. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $124.08 and a 200-day moving average of $112.74. The company has a market cap of $948.88 billion, a PE ratio of 43.44, a PEG ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its earnings results 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 net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.66 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter 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. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.2475 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s payout ratio is currently 36.13%.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total value of $2,445,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 506,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $61,962,034.28. This represents a 3.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 727,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $87,251,328.45. This trade represents a 1.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 274,278 shares of company stock worth $33,605,809 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Growing AI narrative and modest analyst upside: coverage notes that Walmart’s AI investments (supply-chain, store ops) are reshaping its growth story and one valuation model nudged fair value slightly higher to ~$136, supporting longer-term upside. This bolsters bullish investor interest in WMT as a tech-enabled retailer. How Walmart (WMT) Is Rewriting Its Story With AI Hype And Valuation Questions
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/technical support for defensive retail: coverage from Barron’s highlights Walmart alongside other defensive retail names on both technical and fundamental grounds, which can attract risk-off flows and relative-strength buyers in uncertain markets. Walmart, Ross Stores, and Other ‘Defensive’ Retail Stocks
• Positive Sentiment: Market narrative that Walmart is an AI play: features arguing Walmart (and Target) are meaningful AI plays could lift investor conviction around margin improvement and efficiency gains over time. Forget Chipmakers: Walmart and Target Are the Real AI Plays
• Neutral Sentiment: Higher-than-usual call buying: intraday activity showed a ~42% increase in call option volume, which signals bullish positioning but could be speculative or short-term. Watch whether this leads to sustained buying or just short-term gamma flow.
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO transition focus: commentary on managing and positioning around CEO transitions notes both risk and opportunity — transitions can create volatility but also potential strategic shifts. Investors should watch messaging and execution from leadership. How to Play 3 Major CEO Transitions in Early 2026 (WMT)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by CEO: CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares (~1.87% reduction in his position) in a disclosed SEC filing — insider sales can be interpreted negatively by some investors even if part of routine diversification. Insider Sale SEC Filing

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on WMT shares. DA Davidson set a $150.00 target price on Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $140.00 price target (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 price target (up from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $134.00 price objective (up from $129.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Roth Mkm restated a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $135.76.

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.