Allworth Financial LP Purchases 8,071 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 2.5% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 331,395 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 8,071 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP’s holdings in Walmart were worth $36,921,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 188.1% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,199,907,000 after buying an additional 7,614,172 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Walmart by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $49,015,626,000 after buying an additional 4,304,436 shares during the period. Amundi boosted its position in Walmart by 20.5% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 23,497,921 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,413,236,000 after buying an additional 4,004,277 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth $294,621,000. Finally, PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $280,736,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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 accessible through this link. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.84, for a total transaction of $1,638,525.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 674,162 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $84,162,384.08. The trade was a 1.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 167,195 shares of company stock valued at $20,975,804. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT opened at $131.47 on Thursday. 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 market cap of $1.05 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.65. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $126.21 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $118.87. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $91.89 and a 12-month high of $134.69.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.66 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a $0.2475 dividend. 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 is 36.13%.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s restructuring appears aimed at streamlining operations and improving coordination across tech and AI teams, which could boost efficiency and profitability if executed well.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary ahead of earnings remains constructive, with reports highlighting Walmart’s strong earnings-surprise track record and arguing that its premium valuation is justified by growth and execution.
• Positive Sentiment: Pre-earnings research from major analysts has reiterated favorable views on Walmart, suggesting expectations remain high heading into the company’s quarterly report.
• Neutral Sentiment: The job cuts were reported to be part of an internal reorganization rather than a direct response to AI replacing workers, which limits the read-through to near-term fundamentals. Walmart lays off or relocates about 1,000 corporate workers, WSJ reports
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles also framed the move as a broader digital-transformation effort, but the actual earnings impact is still unclear until Walmart reports results and guidance.
• Negative Sentiment: Layoffs can sometimes signal management caution or cost pressure, and investor reaction may be tempered by the fact that Walmart’s shares already trade at a premium valuation ahead of earnings.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Argus raised shares of Walmart to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price target on Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. Erste Group Bank raised Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Bank of America started coverage on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $150.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.67.

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.