Coastline Trust Co Grows Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Coastline Trust Co grew its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 55.2% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 85,470 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 30,388 shares during the period. Walmart makes up 0.9% of Coastline Trust Co’s holdings, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. Coastline Trust Co’s holdings in Walmart were worth $9,522,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at about $175,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 8.2% in the 4th quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 25,797 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,874,000 after purchasing an additional 1,955 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Wealth Management LLC MS grew its position in Walmart by 14.4% during the 4th quarter. Legacy Wealth Management LLC MS now owns 79,221 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,826,000 after purchasing an additional 9,944 shares during the last quarter. Trust Co of the South grew its position in Walmart by 22.0% during the 4th quarter. Trust Co of the South now owns 27,915 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,110,000 after purchasing an additional 5,038 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Foguth Wealth Management LLC. acquired a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,150,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on WMT. Truist Financial lifted their target price on Walmart from $127.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 price target (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 5th. CICC Research assumed coverage on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, December 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and set a $134.00 price objective (up from $129.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, DA Davidson set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $135.76.

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $119.02 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The firm has a market cap of $948.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.44, a P/E/G ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 0.66. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $124.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $112.74. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $79.81 and a 52-week high of $134.69.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The company had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.66 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue 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 expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $65,082,852. This represents a 6.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total value of $2,445,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 506,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 274,278 shares of company stock valued at $33,605,809. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by 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.