Saratoga Research & Investment Management Sells 9,094 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Saratoga Research & Investment Management reduced its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 5.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 153,526 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 9,094 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up about 0.9% of Saratoga Research & Investment Management’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. Saratoga Research & Investment Management’s holdings in Walmart were worth $17,104,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 57.4% in the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at $62,203,571.56. This trade represents a 3.95% 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 Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total transaction of $4,158,004.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 533,466 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $65,082,852. This trade represents a 6.01% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 167,195 shares of company stock valued at $20,975,804 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $131.45 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $126.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $119.15. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $93.43 and a fifty-two week high of $134.69. The firm has a market cap of $1.05 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.97, a P/E/G ratio of 4.89 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its 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. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.66 earnings per share. Walmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be given 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 (DPR) is 36.13%.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS and other analysts expect Walmart to deliver another strong quarter, helped by resilient grocery demand, e-commerce growth, and advertising momentum, which could support the stock if results meet or exceed expectations.
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America said Walmart’s consistent sales growth should be rewarded by the market, reinforcing the view that WMT remains a defensive growth name ahead of earnings.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary also highlights Walmart as a long-term growth and momentum stock, with investors continuing to search for the name ahead of the report.
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart said it will host its first-quarter earnings conference call on May 21, keeping attention focused on upcoming results and guidance rather than any new business update. Walmart To Host First Quarter Earnings Conference Call May 21, 2026
• Negative Sentiment: One bearish analysis argued that expectations may be too high versus Walmart’s own guidance, warning that reported sales growth may not be enough to justify a further move higher and that investors may want to trim positions.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. DA Davidson set a $150.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 price target (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Guggenheim upped their target price on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, HSBC lowered shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $122.00 to $131.00 in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $138.88.

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.