Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Bought by Sovran Advisors LLC

Sovran Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 69.8% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 35,857 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 14,742 shares during the quarter. Sovran Advisors LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $4,274,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of WMT. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in Walmart in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new position in Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Roble Belko & Company Inc boosted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $125.79 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $79.81 and a twelve month high of $134.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.00 trillion, a PE ratio of 45.91, a P/E/G ratio of 4.69 and a beta of 0.66. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $124.97 and its 200 day moving average price is $114.43.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.66 EPS. Walmart’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, sell-side analysts predict 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. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.13%.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group upgraded Walmart from “hold” to “strong-buy,” signaling institutional confidence and likely supporting demand for the shares. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: A bullish analyst note projects steady growth and a 12-month price target (~$130.57), giving investors a modest upside thesis tied to continued execution. Walmart Price Prediction: Steady Growth Makes Analysts Bullish
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart will pay its second 2026 dividend on April 6, which supports income-focused holders and can reduce near-term selling pressure around income flows. Walmart to pay 2026’s second dividend in April; Here’s how much 100 WMT shares will earn
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is testing a Sam’s Club membership fee increase and raising rewards caps — a sign of pricing power and potential margin upside if membership retention holds. Walmart Tests Sam’s Club Fee Hike Against Member Value And Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts/coverage note Walmart is shifting toward growth via expanding ad revenue and memberships, and Sam’s Club expansion, which helps operating income outpace sales — a longer-term positive re-rating catalyst. Walmart Stock Is Transforming Into a Growth Stock. Is It Time to Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmex (Walmart’s Mexico unit) plans a $2.5B 2026 investment, signaling international expansion and capacity spending that could support future top-line growth. Walmart (WMT) Unit Walmex Plans $2.5B Investment in Mexico
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and pundit commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer) express bullish technical and sentiment views, which can amplify momentum trading but are less material than fundamental catalysts. Jim Cramer on Walmart
• Neutral Sentiment: Reporting shows Walmart shoppers so far are holding up despite ~$4 gas — a sign of resilience but also a watch item if fuel prices keep rising. Walmart shoppers aren’t breaking under the weight of $4 gas (yet)
• Negative Sentiment: An AOL piece highlights a Walmart-related recession indicator at its highest since 2008 — a macro risk that could pressure consumer spending and margins if the signal proves accurate. A Walmart-related recession indicator is at its highest since the 2008 financial crisis

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.17, for a total value of $2,313,804.72. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,274,856 shares in the company, valued at $509,434,589.52. This represents a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.10, for a total transaction of $1,694,437.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 591,084 shares in the company, valued at approximately $76,308,944.40. This represents a 2.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 274,278 shares of company stock worth $33,825,793 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on WMT. HSBC cut shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $122.00 to $131.00 in a report on Friday, February 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $140.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, February 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Mizuho upped their target price on Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $135.76.

About Walmart

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.