Silphium Asset Management Ltd Reduces Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Silphium Asset Management Ltd trimmed its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 65.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 28,079 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 53,500 shares during the period. Silphium Asset Management Ltd’s holdings in Walmart were worth $2,894,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Walmart by 1.4% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 431,817,510 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,223,116,000 after acquiring an additional 5,856,468 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.3% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 94,557,532 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $9,199,712,000 after acquiring an additional 263,718 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the second quarter worth about $5,367,770,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its stake in Walmart by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 31,973,329 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,126,775,000 after purchasing an additional 1,098,342 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi raised its stake in Walmart by 23.5% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 19,493,644 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,902,775,000 after purchasing an additional 3,710,506 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.83, for a total value of $2,171,291.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,315,333 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $482,583,689.39. The trade was a 0.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Donna Morris sold 9,384 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.19, for a total transaction of $1,127,862.96. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 536,312 shares in the company, valued at approximately $64,459,339.28. This trade represents a 1.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 133,015 shares of company stock worth $15,082,012 over the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart+ membership continued double‑digit growth and reached 28.4 million members in January, with ~12% YoY growth on a three‑month rolling basis — a sign of improving recurring revenue and customer engagement. Walmart+ Paid Membership Program Continued Double-Digit Growth in January
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts collectively rate WMT as an average “Moderate Buy,” which can support further buying interest from funds and retail investors. Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentators single out Walmart as a steady performer — one analyst called WMT a “quiet sleeper” that continues to move higher, which can attract momentum and dividend‑seeking investors. The Big 3: GE, WMT, COF
• Neutral Sentiment: Leadership update: John Furner was promoted to Walmart’s global CEO after running U.S. operations; his internal progression suggests continuity rather than radical strategic shifts. Investors often view internal promotions as lower risk. Who is John Furner, Walmart’s new CEO?
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry coverage contrasts Walmart’s continuation approach with Target’s need for reinvention — placing Walmart in a steadier operational position, though not necessarily implying rapid upside. For the New Walmart and Target CEOs, It’s ‘Continuation’ vs. ‘Reinvention’

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently issued reports on WMT. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Mizuho set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Thirty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $123.37.

Walmart Trading Up 4.1%

WMT stock opened at $124.06 on Tuesday. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $79.81 and a twelve month high of $124.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $988.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $114.88 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $106.31.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued 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 firm had revenue of $179.50 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $175.15 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.58 earnings per share. 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. As a group, analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

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.