Johnson Financial Group Inc. Decreases Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Johnson Financial Group Inc. trimmed its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 12.8% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 67,612 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 9,950 shares during the period. Johnson Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $6,968,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 3,835,200 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $5,367,770,000. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its position 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 worth $4,153,176,000 after acquiring an additional 634,211 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in Walmart by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 31,973,329 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,126,775,000 after purchasing an additional 1,098,342 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc lifted its holdings in Walmart by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 27,268,463 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,810,288,000 after buying an additional 934,468 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, January 18th. CICC Research assumed coverage on Walmart in a research note on Friday, December 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 price objective on the stock. Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Walmart from $110.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $140.00 price target (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, February 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $135.76.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart reported strong digital momentum: eCommerce sales rose ~24% in the fiscal Q4, reinforcing its omnichannel strategy and recurring revenue diversification that supports higher-margin pickup and delivery services. This underpins confidence in sales resilience and future growth. Walmart eCommerce Up 24%
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness: Tigress Financial reiterated a Buy and raised its price target to $150, citing Walmart’s transition to a tech-driven, omnichannel retailer — a vote of confidence that can support further upside and attract investor interest. Tigress Financial Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Flipkart IPO potential: Reports that Walmart-backed Flipkart is preparing for an IPO as soon as this year raise the prospect of a significant liquidity/monetization event for Walmart’s international eCommerce stake, which could unlock shareholder value if executed. Flipkart IPO Report
• Positive Sentiment: Defensive retail demand theme: Market commentary on ETFs that gain from consumers tightening budgets highlights Walmart as a beneficiary of value-oriented spending, which supports steady traffic and margins in down-cycle consumer environments. ETFs That Could Benefit
• Neutral Sentiment: Long-term comparison with Amazon: Several pieces debate WMT vs AMZN for a 10‑year hold — useful for strategic allocation decisions but not an immediate catalyst. These compare capital intensity, margins, growth runway and ecosystem differences. AMZN vs. WMT Comparison
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate housekeeping / optics: Commentary on Walmart’s prior stock split and long-term total-return track record reinforces retail accessibility and shareholder-friendly history but is not a near-term earnings catalyst. MarketBeat Stock Split Note
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and sentiment concerns: Retail investor chatter (Reddit) and analysis have flagged a high forward multiple (~46x in commentary) and a recent month‑long pullback, prompting bearish social sentiment and questions about near-term upside versus current price. Elevated multiple and heightened retail skepticism can pressure short-term performance if earnings guidance disappoints. Reddit Valuation Critique
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation re-checks after momentum: Coverage noting recent share-price gains has prompted fresh valuation analysis — some investors are pausing for confirmation that top-line digital gains and margin expansion justify premium multiples. That caution can cap upside until clarity on sustainable EPS progression. Valuation Look

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.71, for a total transaction of $2,460,201.36. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,023,209 shares in the company, valued at $509,780,812.39. This trade represents a 0.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 10,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total transaction of $1,214,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 108,294 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,153,389.24. This represents a 8.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 279,703 shares of company stock worth $34,140,843 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of WMT opened at $125.27 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 market capitalization of $998.43 billion, a PE ratio of 45.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.60 and a beta of 0.66. The business’s 50 day moving average is $122.89 and its 200 day moving average is $111.62. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $79.81 and a 12-month high of $134.69.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.66 earnings per share. 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 expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.2475 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is currently 34.31%.

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.