Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Acquired by Legal & General Group Plc

Legal & General Group Plc lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 3.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 27,268,463 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 934,468 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for about 0.6% of Legal & General Group Plc’s holdings, making the stock its 18th biggest position. Legal & General Group Plc owned approximately 0.34% of Walmart worth $2,810,288,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of WMT. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Walmart by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 435,652,710 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $44,898,368,000 after purchasing an additional 3,835,200 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 0.3% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 94,557,532 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $9,199,712,000 after purchasing an additional 263,718 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Walmart in the second quarter valued at $5,367,770,000. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.6% in the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,298,623 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,153,176,000 after buying an additional 634,211 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 3.6% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 31,973,329 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,126,775,000 after buying an additional 1,098,342 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is trading near 52‑week highs and is being highlighted as a long‑term favorite as new growth avenues (e‑commerce, advertising) support upside and buyer momentum. 2 Long Term Favorite Stocks Trading Near 52-Week Highs
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s long record of dividend increases and defensive retail positioning is cited favorably by income‑oriented investors, reinforcing buy‑and‑hold appeal. 2 Best Dividend Stocks to Buy Now and Hold Forever
• Positive Sentiment: Management continuity under new CEO John Furner—an internal, experienced operator—reduces execution risk and reassures investors about strategy continuity. Here’s Everything Investors Need to Know About Walmart’s New CEO, John Furner
• Positive Sentiment: Macro consumption trends (a shift toward more price‑conscious shoppers) and retail ETFs that overweight discount/warehouse players give Walmart exposure to potential inflows as consumers tighten budgets. (MarketBeat coverage of ETF themes; Walmart is a meaningful holding in retail ETFs.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative to Costco, Walmart’s fast‑growing ad and e‑commerce businesses are positives, but Costco’s superior comps and membership economics justify a premium—this frames valuation comparisons for investors considering sector allocation. Walmart vs. Costco: Which Stock Is the Better Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Significant Walton Family trust share sales (recent ~$220M block) have reduced insider ownership and raise near‑term supply/valuation questions — a bearish catalyst when combined with prior 2025 sell‑downs. Walton Family Trust Sells Walmart Inc. (WMT) Shares Valued at $220 Million
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart agreed to a roughly $100M settlement tied to its Spark Driver delivery program and will face new compliance measures—this raises one‑time costs and operational oversight concerns. Walmart Insider Sales And Spark Driver Settlement Frame Valuation Questions
• Negative Sentiment: Escalating geopolitical tensions have pushed crude and gasoline prices sharply higher; rising fuel costs can dent discretionary spend and curb store traffic, which is a downside risk for Walmart’s US volumes and margins. Walmart and three retailers most at risk from rising gasoline prices

Walmart Trading Up 0.4%

NASDAQ WMT opened at $124.32 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $990.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.37, a P/E/G ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $79.81 and a 52-week high of $134.69. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $122.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $111.25.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.66 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s payout ratio is 34.31%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on WMT shares. DA Davidson set a $150.00 price target on Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $147.00 price objective (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Tigress Financial set a $150.00 target price on Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 target price on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $135.76.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.71, for a total transaction of $2,460,201.36. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,023,209 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $509,780,812.39. This represents a 0.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total value of $4,158,004.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 533,466 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $65,082,852. The trade was a 6.01% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 279,703 shares of company stock valued at $34,140,843. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.