Park Avenue Securities LLC Buys 16,011 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Park Avenue Securities LLC grew its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 6.3% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 272,103 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 16,011 shares during the quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $28,043,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of WMT. CWM LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 24.2% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,175,703 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $121,168,000 after purchasing an additional 229,220 shares during the period. Neuberger Berman Group LLC increased its holdings in Walmart by 0.8% during the second quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 5,091,126 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $497,771,000 after buying an additional 42,645 shares during the last quarter. Aviva PLC raised its position in Walmart by 16.4% in the second quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 3,833,720 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $374,861,000 after acquiring an additional 539,504 shares during the period. Weatherly Asset Management L. P. boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 7.0% during the 2nd quarter. Weatherly Asset Management L. P. now owns 56,140 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,489,000 after acquiring an additional 3,696 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Willis Johnson & Associates Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 76.6% during the 2nd quarter. Willis Johnson & Associates Inc. now owns 42,626 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,168,000 after acquiring an additional 18,485 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on WMT. Evercore ISI set a $120.00 target price on Walmart and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 price objective (up from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, November 21st. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Walmart from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $123.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Thirty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $121.55.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on WMT to $130 (from $120) and kept an Overweight rating, citing opportunity despite a mixed sector outlook — a direct bullish catalyst for investor sentiment. Wells Fargo Sees Opportunity at Walmart (WMT) Despite Uneven Sector Backdrop
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst write-ups highlight Walmart’s resilient grocery performance (low single-digit comps, fresh-led growth and Rollbacks driving traffic and share gains), supporting near-term sales stability and market-share upside. Walmart’s Grocery Stays Resilient: Is Value the Key Share Lever?
• Positive Sentiment: Several outlets argue the company’s narrative is shifting after Q3 and point to new growth drivers (omnichannel, retail media, and margin levers), reinforcing buy-and-hold cases and supporting longer-term upside. Why The Narrative Around Walmart (WMT) Is Shifting After Q3 And New Growth Drivers
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple analyst/market-note pieces (Zacks, MarketBeat) emphasize Walmart’s durable characteristics — steady growth, a long dividend streak and Wall Street optimism — which can support multiple expansion over time. Here’s Why Walmart (WMT) is a Strong Growth Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical and valuation debates are mixed: some technical analysts see a bullish Elliott Wave toward ~$120, while valuation pieces ask whether recent multi-year gains leave WMT fairly priced — creating a tug-of-war between momentum traders and value-focused investors. Walmart stock eyes $120 as Elliott Wave signals final bullish leg Is Walmart (WMT) Fairly Priced After Strong Multi Year Share Price Gains
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative and sector pieces (e.g., MAKSY vs WMT, and broader mega-cap roundups) provide context but are less likely to move WMT stock immediately; they mostly influence relative valuation discussions. MAKSY vs. WMT: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $112.72 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $109.25 and a 200 day moving average price of $103.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $898.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.41, a P/E/G ratio of 5.28 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $79.81 and a 12-month high of $117.45. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share 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 business 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 posted $0.58 EPS. The firm’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. Equities research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, SVP David Chojnowski sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.65, for a total transaction of $746,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 136,289 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,535,221.85. This represents a 4.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.57, for a total value of $2,127,411.12. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 4,334,747 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $474,958,228.79. The trade was a 0.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 125,628 shares of company stock worth $13,690,065 over the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Walmart

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.