Willis Johnson & Associates Inc. Sells 24,613 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Willis Johnson & Associates Inc. trimmed its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 57.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 18,013 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 24,613 shares during the period. Willis Johnson & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $1,856,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Allegheny Financial Group lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 5.3% during the third quarter. Allegheny Financial Group now owns 9,975 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,028,000 after acquiring an additional 505 shares during the period. Mechanics Financial Corp raised its holdings in Walmart by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Mechanics Financial Corp now owns 8,210 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $846,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC bought a new stake in Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $13,559,000. Madison Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Walmart by 18.7% during the 3rd quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC now owns 3,176 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $327,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. Finally, Krilogy Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 104.5% in the 3rd quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC now owns 123,934 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $12,576,000 after purchasing an additional 63,332 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raising targets and upgrades — Oppenheimer and other firms have lifted price targets and reiterated Outperform/Buy ratings ahead of Walmart’s Q4 print, supporting momentum and investor confidence. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying — Fisher Asset Management increased its stake, signaling conviction from a large money manager that can boost demand for the stock. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings cadence and expectations — Walmart scheduled its Q4 earnings call for Feb. 19; markets are watching for a possible beat and forward commentary after the company recently topped EPS and set FY2026 guidance. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Operational initiatives and store rollout — Next‑gen Jacksonville Supercenter and omnichannel tests reinforce Walmart’s long‑term growth/efficiency thesis that analysts cite when valuing the company at premium multiples. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/retail data mixed — December retail sales came in flat, a potential headwind for discretionary categories, but Walmart is often viewed as a beneficiary of “trade‑down” behavior when consumers seek value. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive landscape — Kroger’s leadership change (Greg Foran) sharpens competition in grocery; it’s a strategic risk over time but not an immediate earnings shock. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Major lawsuit from Estée Lauder alleging counterfeit products sold via Walmart’s marketplace — this brings legal, reputational and regulatory risk and could trigger increased compliance costs or marketplace restrictions if proven. Investors are watching how Walmart responds and whether third‑party seller controls will be tightened. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Marketplace scrutiny and investor nervousness — coverage notes the suit also tests marketplace controls and investor sentiment; increased regulatory scrutiny or larger-than-expected damages would be a material negative. Read More.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,388 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total value of $166,560.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 645,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $77,477,040. The trade was a 0.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total transaction of $2,445,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 506,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $61,962,034.28. This trade represents a 3.80% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 229,196 shares of company stock worth $26,957,858. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 price target (up from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $119.00 target price for the company. in a report on Thursday, January 8th. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, December 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $140.00 price target (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Walmart from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. Thirty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $127.19.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $128.77 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $117.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $107.82. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The company has a market capitalization of $1.03 trillion, a PE ratio of 45.02, a PEG ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $79.81 and a 12 month high of $131.79.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.02. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.31% and a net margin of 3.26%.The company had revenue of $179.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $175.15 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.58 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

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.