ING Groep NV Lowers Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

ING Groep NV trimmed its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 2.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 738,801 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 21,317 shares during the period. ING Groep NV’s holdings in Walmart were worth $76,141,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Madison Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 18.7% during the third quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC now owns 3,176 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $327,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC raised its holdings 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 buying an additional 63,332 shares during the period. Westbourne Investments Inc. acquired a new position in Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $413,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Walmart by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 835,807 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $86,138,000 after acquiring an additional 7,333 shares during the period. Finally, Center for Financial Planning Inc. grew its position in Walmart by 16.1% in the 3rd quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. now owns 13,102 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,350,000 after acquiring an additional 1,816 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total transaction of $2,445,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 506,764 shares in the company, valued at $61,962,034.28. The trade was a 3.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.99, for a total value of $1,574,868.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 727,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $87,251,328.45. This trade represents a 1.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 229,196 shares of company stock worth $26,957,858. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT stock opened at $126.76 on Wednesday. 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 firm has a fifty day moving average price of $117.07 and a 200 day moving average price of $107.67. The company has a market cap of $1.01 trillion, a P/E ratio of 44.32, a PEG ratio of 4.93 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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $179.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $175.15 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.31% and a net margin of 3.26%.Walmart’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.58 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on WMT. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $130.00 price target (up previously from $123.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. CICC Research started coverage on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, December 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Truist Financial set a $127.00 price objective on Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $129.00 target price (up from $122.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, January 5th. Thirty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $126.26.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Next‑gen stores: Walmart’s Jacksonville Supercenter rollout highlights faster delivery, improved store layouts and deeper digital integration — evidence the company can drive omnichannel sales and margins over time. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Mizuho raised its WMT price target (to $137) and continues to rate the stock outperform — a catalyst that can support sentiment and attract buyers into any weakness. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: AI/tech strategy: Coverage notes Walmart is partnering with big tech (Amazon/Meta/Alphabet-led AI activity) to accelerate digital capabilities without matching their mega capex — potential long‑term benefit but uncertain timing and economics. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Major legal risk — Estée Lauder lawsuit: Estée Lauder sued Walmart alleging counterfeit La Mer, Le Labo, Clinique, Aveda and Tom Ford products were sold via Walmart’s online marketplace and accuses Walmart of facilitating those sales. The suit seeks injunctions and damages; the case raises reputational, liability and potential marketplace‑oversight costs. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Soft retail data: December retail sales were flat (missing expectations), a sign consumer spending momentum cooled — a macro headwind that could pressure Walmart’s comps and margin leverage in the near term. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive risk — Kroger hires ex‑Walmart CEO for U.S. Greg Foran: Kroger’s leadership hire could sharpen competition in grocery and store execution, putting incremental pressure on Walmart’s U.S. share and margins if Kroger executes well. Read More.

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.