Eastern Bank Decreases Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Eastern Bank lowered its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 1.0% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 1,048,071 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 10,883 shares during the quarter. Walmart comprises 2.0% of Eastern Bank’s holdings, making the stock its 13th largest position. Eastern Bank’s holdings in Walmart were worth $116,766,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the third quarter worth about $28,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Roble Belko & Company Inc boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 212.6% in the 3rd quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 322 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlight Walmart’s accelerating digital initiatives (AI tools, ads, memberships) and a disciplined buyback program that can lift margins and justify a higher multiple — a primary driver of investor optimism. Assessing Walmart (WMT) Valuation As Digital Growth AI Tools And Buybacks Reshape The Business
• Positive Sentiment: Comparisons to peers (Costco) emphasize Walmart’s omnichannel scale, growing ad business and membership-like initiatives as margin levers — reinforcing the narrative that Walmart can sustain steady, profitable growth vs. competitors. Walmart or Costco: Who’s Winning the Modern Retail Game Right Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader retail comparisons (Amazon, Target) and sector commentary keep Walmart in investors’ crosshairs as a defensive, cash-generative retail leader; these pieces frame relative valuation and strategic positioning but don’t contain immediate catalysts. Amazon vs Walmart: Which is a Better Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noting executive comments about AI and leadership transitions (including past remarks by former CEO Doug McMillon) underscores management focus on AI but is more background than an immediate stock mover. Major outgoing CEOs are citing AI as a factor in their decisions to step down
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory headwinds: Washington state fined Walmart >$380k for selling motor vehicle A/C cans with banned hydrofluorocarbons. The penalty is modest financially but raises scrutiny of compliance and ESG risks, which can affect reputation and investor sentiment. Walmart Fine Raises Questions On Climate Compliance And Investment Risks
• Negative Sentiment: Governance/legal risk: A shareholder law firm is investigating Walmart’s board over alleged oversight failures tied to Spark driver pay practices, which could lead to litigation, reputational harm or regulatory scrutiny if claims advance. Berger Montague PC Investigates Walmart Inc.’s Board of Directors for Breach of Fiduciary Duty (NASDAQ: WMT)

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total value of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at $62,203,571.56. This trade represents a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.16, for a total value of $2,391,274.56. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,213,406 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $518,923,082.96. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 274,278 shares of company stock worth $33,825,793 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the subject of a number of research reports. Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Walmart from $127.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 price target (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $125.00 price objective (up from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $140.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, February 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $135.76.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $122.89 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $124.35 and a 200 day moving average price of $113.68. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $79.81 and a 1-year 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. The company has a market cap of $979.73 billion, a PE ratio of 44.85, a P/E/G ratio of 4.58 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.66 EPS. Walmart’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company 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 $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.13%.

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.