NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC Increases Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC grew its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 143.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 35,919 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 21,171 shares during the quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $3,708,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. PFS Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 267.8% in the 2nd quarter. PFS Partners LLC now owns 320 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 233 shares during the last quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 55.3% in the 2nd quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC now owns 323 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 212.6% in the 3rd quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 322 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on WMT shares. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $125.00 price target (up from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 price target (up from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Walmart from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Thirty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $123.03.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.91, for a total transaction of $1,508,193.75. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 733,841 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $84,325,669.31. The trade was a 1.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel Danker sold 4,365 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.19, for a total value of $524,629.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 238,583 shares in the company, valued at $28,675,290.77. This trade represents a 1.80% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 135,215 shares of company stock valued at $15,071,810 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: RBC Capital retained an Outperform rating and lifted its price target (to $126), providing fresh analyst support that can help push the stock higher. RBC Capital Retains an Outperform Rating on Walmart Inc. (WMT)
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage arguing Walmart is built to withstand an economic downturn highlights durable traffic driven by low prices, supporting the thesis that Walmart’s sales and margins are more recession-resilient than peers. Is Walmart Stock Built to Withstand the Next Economic Downturn?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysis suggests Walmart’s dividend could rise materially over time as growth in China and India boosts cash flow — a potential catalyst for income-focused investors. Walmart stock dividend may surge thanks to China, India
• Positive Sentiment: WSJ reports Walmart is expanding higher-end home goods (e.g., a $1,699 espresso machine) to attract wealthier customers and better compete with Amazon — a strategy that could lift average ticket and margins in key categories. Can a $1,699 Espresso Machine Help Walmart Challenge Amazon?
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/sector ETF commentary (Zacks) touches on retail winners/losers but does not provide a direct, company-specific catalyst for Walmart. Winners & Losers: The ETF Playbook to Glide Trump’s Great Healthcare Plan
• Negative Sentiment: A separate Fool piece warns Walmart may be richly valued after its recent run, raising concern that upside could be limited if growth expectations cool; valuation is a near-term risk for the stock. Walmart Stock Has Been a Big Winner Recently. But Is It Overvalued Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart EVP sold about $1.575M in stock recently; sizable insider sales can be interpreted negatively by the market even if they are routine diversification. Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP Sells $1,574,868.75 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: A separate EVP sale of $166,560 was also reported, adding to the short-term headline risk around insider activity. Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP Sells $166,560.00 in Stock

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $119.70 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $954.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.85, a PEG ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.24. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $79.81 and a 1 year high of $121.24. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $111.83 and its 200 day moving average is $104.74.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.58 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal 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.