Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC Increases Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 15.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 107,384 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 14,123 shares during the period. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $11,067,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the second quarter worth $26,000. PFS Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 267.8% in the second quarter. PFS Partners LLC now owns 320 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 233 shares during the period. Ridgewood Investments LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 55.3% during the 2nd quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC now owns 323 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Livelsberger Financial Advisory purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $44,000. Finally, Harbor Asset Planning Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the second quarter valued at approximately $46,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $114.34 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $109.05 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $103.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $911.31 billion, a PE ratio of 39.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $79.81 and a 52-week high of $117.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.80.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.02. Walmart had a net margin of 3.26% and a return on equity of 21.31%. The firm had revenue of $179.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $175.15 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.58 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators are shifting the narrative after Q3, highlighting new growth drivers (e-commerce, advertising, membership initiatives) that could sustain revenue and margin expansion — this supports upside expectations. Why The Narrative Around Walmart (WMT) Is Shifting After Q3 And New Growth Drivers
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple buy-side pieces and stock-picking lists cite Walmart’s combination of steady EPS growth, scale in grocery/e‑commerce and its long dividend streak as reasons WMT can still outperform or act as a defensive-growth holding. Why These 3 Mega-Caps Could Still Surprise Investors in 2026 (WMT)
• Positive Sentiment: Broker and sell‑side sentiment appears constructive: coverage notes optimism from Wall Street and Zacks-style scores that rate WMT as a strong growth/dividend candidate — likely supporting buying interest. Wall Street Bulls Look Optimistic About Walmart (WMT): Should You Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Fundamental screens and style-score writeups (Zacks) reiterate WMT’s growth qualities and defensive characteristics — supportive for investor appetite in uncertain markets. Here’s Why Walmart (WMT) is a Strong Growth Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend-focused publications continue to flag Walmart as a long-term dividend compounder (Dividend King status), which attracts income-oriented investors and supports valuation floors. 5 Dividend Stocks to Hold for the Next 25 Years
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and analyst roundups (e.g., Globe and Mail) offer mixed takes comparing Walmart with peers (Costco, Kroger), useful context but not a clear near-term catalyst. Analysts Offer Insights on Consumer Goods Companies: Costco (COST) and Walmart (WMT)
• Positive Sentiment: Technical analysis pieces point to a final bullish leg toward a ~$120 target, which can attract momentum traders and short-term buyers. Walmart stock eyes $120 as Elliott Wave signals final bullish leg
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation pieces caution that multi‑year share gains have left WMT looking fairly priced, which could limit near-term upside and increase sensitivity to execution misses or macro weakness. Is Walmart (WMT) Fairly Priced After Strong Multi Year Share Price Gains

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.91, for a total value of $1,508,193.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 733,841 shares in the company, valued at $84,325,669.31. The trade was a 1.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.23, for a total value of $244,706.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 617,318 shares in the company, valued at approximately $68,664,281.14. The trade was a 0.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 125,628 shares of company stock worth $13,690,065. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on WMT shares. Evercore ISI set a $120.00 price objective on Walmart and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $120.00 target price (up from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Mizuho set a $125.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $125.00 price target (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $120.00 price objective (up previously from $110.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, November 21st. Thirty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $121.28.

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.