Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Sold by Handelsbanken Fonder AB

Handelsbanken Fonder AB lessened its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 0.2% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 1,736,135 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 4,190 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up about 0.6% of Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Walmart were worth $178,926,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Collier Financial acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Roble Belko & Company Inc boosted its holdings in Walmart by 212.6% in the 3rd quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 322 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $124.42 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.79. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $79.81 and a 1 year high of $134.69. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $120.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $109.91. The firm has a market cap of $991.65 billion, a PE ratio of 45.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.07 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.66 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s payout ratio is 34.31%.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart authorized a new $30 billion share‑repurchase program, recently completed a roughly $16.14 billion buyback and approved a $0.99 per‑share annual dividend — actions that return capital to shareholders and support the stock. How Investors May Respond To Walmart E‑commerce Strength And New US$30 Billion Buyback Plan
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have been raising targets and ratings after Walmart’s quarter and strategy — TD Cowen lifted its target and Bernstein has become more constructive, which can support further inflows. TD Cowen Raises Walmart Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding tech-driven store capabilities (Scintilla In‑Store) and rolling select private/partner brands nationwide — moves that bolster e‑commerce/omnichannel margins and advertising/marketplace growth. Walmart Supplier Tech And New Brands Reframe Stores As Data Platforms
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart management will participate in upcoming investor events with live webcasts — increases transparency and gives analysts a forum to ask questions, but is informational rather than catalytic. Walmart Leadership to Participate in Upcoming Investor Events
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart agreed to settle with the FTC over deceptive pay/tip representations in its Spark driver program — the headline figure reported is $100 million, and the company will also pay roughly $16 million directly to drivers as part of relief. This is a reputational/legal hit and a near‑term cash charge (though small versus Walmart’s scale). Walmart Agrees to $100 Million FTC Settlement Over Driver Pay Walmart agrees to pay $16 million to Spark drivers
• Negative Sentiment: An insider sale (John Furner sold 13,125 shares) and some post‑earnings pressure were reported — insider selling and short‑term volatility can add downward pressure on sentiment even if not indicative of long‑term fundamentals. John Furner Sells Shares

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total transaction of $4,158,004.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 533,466 shares in the company, valued at $65,082,852. This trade represents a 6.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Donna Morris sold 76,181 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.79, for a total transaction of $9,430,445.99. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 402,072 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,772,492.88. The trade was a 15.93% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 242,487 shares of company stock worth $29,369,548. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on WMT shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $134.00 price objective (up from $129.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. CICC Research started coverage on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, December 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 price objective (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $133.67.

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.