South Shore Capital Advisors bought a new position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm bought 9,235 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,029,000. Walmart makes up 0.8% of South Shore Capital Advisors’ portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest holding.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of WMT. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position 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. Amundi lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 20.5% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 23,497,921 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,413,236,000 after acquiring an additional 4,004,277 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.9% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 435,652,710 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $44,898,368,000 after acquiring an additional 3,835,200 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the third quarter worth about $294,621,000. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth about $273,784,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.
Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart
In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total value of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $62,203,571.56. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total value of $1,600,725.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 687,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $83,821,522.52. This trade represents a 1.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 274,278 shares of company stock worth $33,825,793. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Trending Headlines about Walmart
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: AI/agentic commerce tailwind — Analysts argue that “agentic commerce” (AI-driven shopping assistants) could reshape e‑commerce and name Walmart as a beneficiary given its scale, omnichannel reach and tech investments; this narrative supports higher growth expectations and investor appetite for WMT. 2 Stocks I’d Add to the Shopping Cart for the Agentic Commerce Revolution
- Positive Sentiment: Sam’s Club membership price hikes — Announced increases in Sam’s Club fees effective May 1 should lift membership revenue and margins, a clear earnings lever for Walmart’s membership businesses and recurring revenue profile. New Sam’s Club Price Hikes Take Effect May 1. Should You Buy Walmart Stock First?
- Neutral Sentiment: Navy Exchange story is peripheral — Coverage of the U.S. Navy Exchange highlights how larger retailers (Walmart/Amazon) are taking share from military exchanges; this underscores Walmart’s competitive strength but is not a material company announcement. Why the U.S. Navy’s retail business is fighting Walmart and Amazon to fund its own future
- Neutral Sentiment: Digital price‑tag rollout — Walmart is replacing paper shelf labels with digital tags to improve pricing agility and margins; investors note efficiency upside but also regulatory and price‑transparency questions that could temper the near‑term benefit. Walmart’s Digital Price Tags Put Valuation And Margin Story In Focus
- Neutral Sentiment: Valuation check after big run — Commentary questions whether WMT’s strong multi‑year rally (50%+ over 12 months) leaves the stock fully priced; this raises caution on further upside absent continued execution. Is Walmart (WMT) Still Reasonably Priced After A 51% One Year Share Price Surge?
- Negative Sentiment: Short‑term technical/pullback headlines — Multiple pieces note a recent snap in a winning streak and a one‑day downside move, reflecting profit‑taking and near‑term volatility that can pressure the share price despite the longer‑term positives. Walmart (WMT) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains: Important Facts to Note
Walmart Stock Up 3.9%
Shares of Walmart stock opened at $127.26 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 business’s 50 day simple moving average is $125.47 and its 200-day simple moving average is $114.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.01 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.45, a PEG ratio of 4.69 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $83.02 and a twelve month high of $134.69.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $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. Equities research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.
Walmart Dividend Announcement
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a dividend of $0.2475 per share. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is presently 36.13%.
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.
See Also
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