Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC Grows Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 6.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 661,098 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 38,021 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up 0.5% of Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $68,133,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of WMT. Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,709,000. CWM LLC raised its position 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 buying an additional 229,220 shares during the period. Neuberger Berman Group LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 0.8% in the second quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 5,091,126 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $497,771,000 after acquiring an additional 42,645 shares during the last quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. increased its stake in Walmart by 16.6% during the third quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 63,782 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $6,567,000 after acquiring an additional 9,061 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aviva PLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 16.4% in the 2nd quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 3,833,720 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $374,861,000 after purchasing an additional 539,504 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, HSBC cut Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $122.00 to $131.00 in a research note on Friday, February 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $134.42.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total transaction of $1,214,600.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 108,294 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,153,389.24. This trade represents a 8.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total value of $4,158,004.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 533,466 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $65,082,852. The trade was a 6.01% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 279,703 shares of company stock worth $34,140,843. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Underlying business momentum and e‑commerce strength support valuations — analysts and comparison pieces highlight Walmart’s strong omnichannel execution and continued e‑commerce growth, reinforcing the case that WMT’s core retail operations remain healthy. Walmart vs. Target: Which Stock Is a Better Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: PhonePe IPO could be a material monetization path — reports say PhonePe (Walmart‑backed) is targeting up to a $10.5B valuation in an India IPO, which could lift investor expectations for future value from Walmart’s stake and international fintech exposure. Exclusive: Walmart-backed PhonePe targets up to $10.5 billion valuation in India IPO, sources say
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish investor write‑ups reiterate long‑term case — recent bullish summaries highlight WMT’s scale, tight operations and brand strength, supporting buy‑and‑hold sentiment among value and income investors. Is Walmart Inc. (WMT) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion and new format rollout continue — Walmart opened a “next‑generation” Supercenter in Florida, an example of ongoing investment in store experience that supports omnichannel reach. Walmart Opens Next Generation Supercenter in The Villages, Highlights Florida‑Grown Products
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor presentation/transcript released — Walmart presented at the Morgan Stanley TMT conference; transcripts provide detail but contain no single market‑moving surprise in headlines. Investors may parse the remarks for tech/AI and supply‑chain commentary. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Presents at Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference 2026 Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff and import exposure remains a tangible risk — analysis highlights that tariffs and rising trade frictions could raise costs for Walmart given its heavy import/manufacturing footprint, pressuring margins if costs can’t be passed to consumers. Walmart: Navigating A Bumpy Tariff Environment
• Negative Sentiment: Competing retail upside (Target) could divert investor dollars — renewed bullishness around Target’s turnaround may draw discretionary retail allocations away from Walmart and pressure relative performance. Target’s 2026 Turnaround: Analysts Bullish as Growth Returns
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale disclosed — EVP John Rainey sold ~20,000 shares (disclosed), a modest reduction in insider holdings that some investors view as a near‑term negative signal despite its small size relative to total holdings. SEC Form 4 disclosure — John D. Rainey sale

Walmart Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of WMT opened at $127.81 on Thursday. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $79.81 and a one year high of $134.69. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $121.39 and a 200 day moving average price of $110.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.79. The company has a market capitalization of $1.02 trillion, a P/E ratio of 46.65, a P/E/G ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The company had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.66 EPS. Walmart’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.2475 per share. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.31%.

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.