Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Acquired by Meridian Wealth Management LLC

Meridian Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 7.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 165,062 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 11,190 shares during the quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $18,390,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 57.4% in the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 price objective (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. DA Davidson set a $150.00 target price on Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. HSBC lowered Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $122.00 to $131.00 in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and set a $140.00 price target (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.33.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $127.59 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $126.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $118.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $91.89 and a 1-year high of $134.69. The company has a market cap of $1.02 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion during 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $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. Analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.13%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,023,209 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $509,780,812.39. This represents a 0.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 687,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $83,821,522.52. This represents a 1.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 167,195 shares of company stock worth $20,975,804. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley revisited Walmart’s stock ahead of earnings, a sign that major analysts are still actively monitoring the name and may update their outlook based on the upcoming report. Morgan Stanley revisits Walmart stock price target pre-earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s recent long-term stock performance remains strong, with shares up sharply over the past year, which can support investor confidence despite short-term volatility. Is It Too Late To Consider Walmart (WMT) After Its Strong 1 Year Share Price Run?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s stock was identified as falling while the broader market gained, reflecting sector rotation and profit-taking rather than a company-specific shock. Walmart (WMT) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here’s Why
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed no meaningful borrowing activity, so this does not currently point to a major bearish trading setup in the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted pressure on Walmart’s margins as grocery and health categories grow, suggesting profitability may remain under scrutiny even as sales trends hold up. Walmart’s Category Mix Pressures Margins: More Pain Ahead?
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart is preparing for California’s new $18 minimum wage rules, which could add labor cost pressure in a key market and weigh on margins. Walmart braces for new $18 California law — it’s slightly different for every city
• Negative Sentiment: Target’s new push to win back families, starting in the baby aisle, adds competitive pressure in a category where Walmart competes for budget-conscious shoppers. Target is trying to win back busy families from Walmart, starting with the baby aisle

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.