Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. Decreases Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. lowered its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 1.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 755,338 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 8,491 shares during the quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $77,845,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 212.6% during the 3rd quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 322 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 4,315,333 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $482,583,689.39. This trade represents a 0.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total transaction of $2,445,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 506,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $61,962,034.28. The trade was a 3.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 229,196 shares of company stock valued at $26,957,858. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target on WMT to $137 and put an “outperform” rating on the stock, implying upside from current levels — a direct bullish signal that can drive buying interest from funds that follow analyst guidance. Mizuho raises WMT price target
• Positive Sentiment: DBS initiated/maintained a buy on WMT (press coverage), adding third‑party validation that could support inflows from Asia‑focused or model‑driven investors. DBS buys WMT
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting WMT’s rise to a ~$1 trillion market cap frames the company’s omnichannel and automation progress as a growth story — a sentiment boost for investors focused on structural earnings improvement. Walmart reaches $1T valuation
• Positive Sentiment: A Barron’s piece argues Walmart can benefit from big‑tech AI investment without matching their huge capex, suggesting Walmart could capture AI-driven gains (better supply chain, personalization, automation) while preserving capital — a potentially margin‑supportive narrative. Walmart letting big tech foot AI bill
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger naming ex‑Walmart executive Greg Foran as CEO is notable for talent flow in the grocery sector; it could sharpen competition execution but is not an immediate direct negative for Walmart’s core omnichannel thesis. Kroger names ex‑Walmart exec CEO
• Negative Sentiment: Macro risk: commentary on the bond market and potential Fed policy shifts (yield curve moves, Fed chair nomination coverage) raises recession/inflation volatility concerns — a headwind for broad equity multiples and highly valued consumer names. Bond market warning / macro risk

Walmart Stock Down 1.6%

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $129.02 on Tuesday. 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 stock has a 50 day moving average of $116.79 and a 200-day moving average of $107.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.03 trillion, a PE ratio of 45.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.01 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $79.81 and a 52 week high of $131.79.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on WMT shares. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Walmart from $110.00 to $121.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $119.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their target price on Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday. Thirty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $125.94.

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.