Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Raises Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 1.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,126,454 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,740 shares during the period. Walmart comprises 2.0% of Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 14th largest position. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $125,498,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in WMT. Fox Run Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the third quarter valued at about $1,709,000. CWM LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 24.2% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,175,703 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $121,168,000 after purchasing an additional 229,220 shares during the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 5,091,126 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $497,771,000 after buying an additional 42,645 shares in the last quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. lifted its stake in Walmart by 16.6% in the 3rd quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 63,782 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $6,567,000 after buying an additional 9,061 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its holdings in Walmart by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,010,886 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $104,182,000 after buying an additional 28,026 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Price Performance

Walmart stock opened at $122.18 on Friday. 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 company has a 50-day moving average price of $124.29 and a 200 day moving average price of $113.37. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $79.81 and a 12-month high of $134.69. The stock has a market cap of $974.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.59, a PEG ratio of 4.58 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share 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 analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.66 EPS. Walmart’s 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. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued 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 is currently 36.13%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on WMT shares. KeyCorp reiterated 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. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 target price (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $145.00 price target on Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $140.00 price target (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price objective on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.76.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies and other outlets highlight Walmart emerging as a frontrunner in retail AI adoption — a potential catalyst for faster online growth, better margins via automation and personalization, and competitive advantage vs. peers. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is rolling out The Farmer’s Dog products in stores and online, expanding into premium pet food — a higher‑margin, recurring category that can boost average basket values and online penetration. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Industry coverage frames Walmart’s long‑term online transformation (“second act”) toward a larger e‑commerce footprint, reinforcing the narrative that digital growth remains a core upside driver. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative pieces weighing Amazon vs. Walmart keep the stock in focus but offer limited near‑term directional impact — they underscore valuation and execution tradeoffs investors should monitor. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: CNBC reports outgoing CEOs (including former Walmart CEO Doug McMillon) citing AI as a driver for leadership changes — signals corporate emphasis on AI but not an immediate operational shock. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentators (Jim Cramer) note Walmart among retailers that could hold up if macro slows (e.g., from lower oil prices), a thematic support for defensive retail exposure. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Berger Montague has opened an investigation into Walmart’s board over alleged oversight failures related to deceptive pay practices for Spark drivers — introduces legal, governance and reputational risk that could prompt costs or settlements. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst pieces flag high valuation and mounting headwinds that could warrant downgrades — a risk to near‑term performance given WMT’s elevated P/E and limited upside vs. consensus targets. Read More.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, EVP Donna Morris sold 76,181 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.79, for a total transaction of $9,430,445.99. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 402,072 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $49,772,492.88. This trade represents a 15.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 533,466 shares in the company, valued at $65,082,852. This represents a 6.01% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 254,862 shares of company stock valued at $31,434,518 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.