Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 99.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 117,777 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 11,368,597 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for 1.7% of Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 15th largest position. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $12,138,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the second quarter valued at about $5,367,770,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 431,817,510 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,223,116,000 after purchasing an additional 5,856,468 shares during the period. Amundi boosted its holdings in Walmart by 23.5% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 19,493,644 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,902,775,000 after buying an additional 3,710,506 shares during the period. AGF Management Ltd. grew its stake in Walmart by 1,176.6% during the second quarter. AGF Management Ltd. now owns 3,317,487 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $324,384,000 after acquiring an additional 3,057,612 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP purchased a new stake in Walmart in the second quarter valued at approximately $273,784,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.
Insider Activity at Walmart
In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.71, for a total transaction of $2,460,201.36. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,023,209 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $509,780,812.39. This represents a 0.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.10, for a total value of $1,694,437.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 591,084 shares in the company, valued at $76,308,944.40. This trade represents a 2.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 261,903 shares of company stock worth $31,829,749 in the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on WMT
Key Headlines Impacting Walmart
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Bank of America initiated coverage with a “Buy” rating and a $150 price target, signaling materially higher analyst optimism versus the current share level (roughly +17% upside from the cited price).
- Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results showed a slight EPS beat (reported $0.74 vs. $0.73 est.) and revenue topped estimates; management issued FY2027 EPS guidance of $2.75–$2.85, supporting multiple expansion and investor confidence.
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart is rolling out its Scintilla In-Store data platform and expanding private/partner brands, moves that reinforce higher-margin adjacencies (ads, marketplace, fulfillment) and long-term e‑commerce/store integration growth. Walmart Supplier Tech And New Brands Reframe Stores As Data Platforms
- Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage consensus remains constructive — a “Moderate Buy” consensus was reported, reflecting institutional buy-side alignment but some variance in targets. Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart leadership will participate in upcoming investor events and webcasts — provides management access to investors for strategy updates and Q&A, which can influence near-term sentiment. Walmart Leadership to Participate in Upcoming Investor Events
- Negative Sentiment: Walmart agreed to settle FTC claims over Spark driver pay for roughly $100M total, including a $16M payout to drivers over alleged misleading pay/tip claims — a near-term cash hit and reputational/legal overhang, though not material to operating margins long-term at scale. Walmart agrees to $100M settlement over deceptive pay practices in Spark Driver program Walmart agrees to pay $16 million to its Spark delivery drivers to settle claims it misled them over tips and pay
Walmart Stock Up 2.8%
Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $127.95 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $79.81 and a 12-month high of $134.69. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $120.44 and its 200-day moving average price is $110.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.02 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.70, a P/E/G ratio of 5.16 and a beta of 0.65.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.66 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate 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. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.2475 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is 34.31%.
Walmart 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.
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