OFI Invest Asset Management boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 559,487 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 11,780 shares during the period. OFI Invest Asset Management’s holdings in Walmart were worth $57,661,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of WMT. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 397,264.9% in the second quarter. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC now owns 104,514,912 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $10,496,702,000 after purchasing an additional 104,488,610 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at $5,367,770,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 9,648.7% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,486,374 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,123,138,000 after acquiring an additional 11,368,549 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 431,817,510 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,223,116,000 after acquiring an additional 5,856,468 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 23.5% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 19,493,644 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,902,775,000 after acquiring an additional 3,710,506 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Key Headlines Impacting Walmart
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s advertising business grew rapidly this quarter — ad sales jumped ~53%, helping lift margins and diversify the company’s profit mix, which could support higher long-term operating leverage. Walmart’s Ad Sales Jump 53%: Is Advertising Becoming a Profit Engine?
- Positive Sentiment: Broader retail strength from a record holiday shopping season (holiday sales topping $1T) is a tailwind for large discount retailers like Walmart and could support comps and market share in 2026. Holiday Sales Boom: 4 Retail Stocks Ready for 2026 Gains
- Negative Sentiment: A newly reported lawsuit is being called a major near-term headwind and is cited in market coverage as a key reason for the stock’s decline today; legal risk and potential liabilities are prompting investor caution. Walmart Stock Is Falling — New Lawsuit Is Hurting The Most
- Negative Sentiment: A bearish take projecting Walmart shares to $80 surfaced, which may amplify negative sentiment by highlighting valuation downside and feeding momentum selling. Walmart Stock To $80?
- Negative Sentiment: Recent insider selling by an EVP (transactions totaling roughly $1.97M across filings) has been reported; while insider sales aren’t proof of company problems, they often prompt short-term selling or concern among investors. Insider Selling: Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP Sells $1,508,193.75 in Stock Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP Sells $460,840.00 in Stock
Walmart Trading Down 1.5%
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $179.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $175.15 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.31% and a net margin of 3.26%.Walmart’s revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.58 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart
In related news, SVP David Chojnowski sold 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.65, for a total transaction of $746,550.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 136,289 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,535,221.85. This represents a 4.89% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.78, for a total transaction of $1,414,612.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 892,940 shares in the company, valued at approximately $96,241,073.20. This trade represents a 1.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 127,828 shares of company stock worth $13,745,625. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
WMT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and set a $130.00 price target (up previously from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $122.00 price target (up previously from $118.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Thirty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $120.54.
View Our Latest Stock Report on WMT
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.
Featured Stories
- Five stocks we like better than Walmart
- The boring AI play that could pay up to $4,290 monthly
- Trump’s “real estate deal for America” explained
- Put $1,000 into this stock by Jan 1 [Not NVDA]
- ALERT: Drop these 5 stocks before January 2026!
- Trump Did WHAT??
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Walmart Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Walmart and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
