QRG Capital Management Inc. Reduces Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

QRG Capital Management Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 53.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 757,363 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 856,460 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for 0.9% of QRG Capital Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $78,054,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Rather & Kittrell Inc. boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 6.3% during the 3rd quarter. Rather & Kittrell Inc. now owns 11,493 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,184,000 after acquiring an additional 677 shares during the last quarter. Retirement Investment Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 34.6% in the 3rd quarter. Retirement Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 7,961 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $820,000 after buying an additional 2,045 shares during the period. Evergreen Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 13.8% during the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 56,626 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,836,000 after buying an additional 6,856 shares during the last quarter. Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd. raised its position in shares of Walmart by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd. now owns 48,575 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,006,000 after buying an additional 606 shares during the period. Finally, Arlington Trust Co LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 1.0% in the third quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC now owns 24,503 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,525,000 after acquiring an additional 247 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $119.70 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $79.81 and a 52-week high of $121.24. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $111.49 and a 200 day moving average price of $104.49. The company has a market capitalization of $954.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 0.66.

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

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Executive succession clarified: John Furner will become CEO next month and promoted longtime insider David Guggina to CEO of Walmart U.S., a move investors interpret as continuity-focused and supportive for execution on omnichannel and AI strategies. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: AI/digital momentum: Coverage highlights Walmart’s AI initiatives and partnerships (Google/Alphabet, OpenAI/ChatGPT) as starting to produce sales/efficiency upside — a strategic story driving valuation premium and analyst optimism. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Fintech and ancillary growth: Walmart‑backed OnePay reached a $4B valuation milestone, signaling potential non‑retail upside from financial-services partnerships. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Multiple firms recently reiterated/raised Buy/Outperform views and targets, reinforcing short‑term institutional demand. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive positioning: Analysts note Walmart is narrowing Amazon’s online lead — a positive strategic trend but one that still leaves intense competition and execution requirements. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Several senior execs disclosed share sales (combined millions), which can be interpreted as routine diversification but may pressure sentiment short term. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: International leadership turnover: Walmart International CEO Kathryn McLay will depart (staying through transition), raising near‑term succession and execution questions for overseas growth. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/tax uncertainty: India’s top court is set to rule on tax treatment of the 2018 Flipkart stake sale (Tiger Global → Walmart), a potential precedent with financial or reputational implications. Read More.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WMT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Tigress Financial raised their price objective on Walmart from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $130.00 price objective (up previously from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, December 19th. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $128.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Evercore ISI set a $120.00 price target on Walmart and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Walmart from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Thirty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $123.03.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, SVP David Chojnowski sold 7,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.65, for a total value of $746,550.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 136,289 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,535,221.85. This trade represents a 4.89% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.57, for a total value of $2,127,411.12. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,334,747 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $474,958,228.79. This represents a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 139,215 shares of company stock valued at $15,502,810 over the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.