Ceredex Value Advisors LLC Increases Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Ceredex Value Advisors LLC lifted its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 66.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 474,619 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 188,707 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for approximately 1.1% of Ceredex Value Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $48,914,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in Walmart by 28.8% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,868,000 after buying an additional 21,939 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $800,000 after acquiring an additional 485 shares during the period. Peterson Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 3.5% in the first quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,416,000 after acquiring an additional 1,715 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 13,008 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,272,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. lifted its position in Walmart by 1.2% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 91,341 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,931,000 after purchasing an additional 1,048 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is trading near 52‑week highs and is being highlighted as a long‑term favorite as new growth avenues (e‑commerce, advertising) support upside and buyer momentum. 2 Long Term Favorite Stocks Trading Near 52-Week Highs
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s long record of dividend increases and defensive retail positioning is cited favorably by income‑oriented investors, reinforcing buy‑and‑hold appeal. 2 Best Dividend Stocks to Buy Now and Hold Forever
• Positive Sentiment: Management continuity under new CEO John Furner—an internal, experienced operator—reduces execution risk and reassures investors about strategy continuity. Here’s Everything Investors Need to Know About Walmart’s New CEO, John Furner
• Positive Sentiment: Macro consumption trends (a shift toward more price‑conscious shoppers) and retail ETFs that overweight discount/warehouse players give Walmart exposure to potential inflows as consumers tighten budgets. (MarketBeat coverage of ETF themes; Walmart is a meaningful holding in retail ETFs.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative to Costco, Walmart’s fast‑growing ad and e‑commerce businesses are positives, but Costco’s superior comps and membership economics justify a premium—this frames valuation comparisons for investors considering sector allocation. Walmart vs. Costco: Which Stock Is the Better Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Significant Walton Family trust share sales (recent ~$220M block) have reduced insider ownership and raise near‑term supply/valuation questions — a bearish catalyst when combined with prior 2025 sell‑downs. Walton Family Trust Sells Walmart Inc. (WMT) Shares Valued at $220 Million
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart agreed to a roughly $100M settlement tied to its Spark Driver delivery program and will face new compliance measures—this raises one‑time costs and operational oversight concerns. Walmart Insider Sales And Spark Driver Settlement Frame Valuation Questions
• Negative Sentiment: Escalating geopolitical tensions have pushed crude and gasoline prices sharply higher; rising fuel costs can dent discretionary spend and curb store traffic, which is a downside risk for Walmart’s US volumes and margins. Walmart and three retailers most at risk from rising gasoline prices

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 target price (up from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 price target (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Walmart from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.76.

Walmart Trading Up 0.4%

WMT stock opened at $124.32 on Tuesday. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $79.81 and a 12-month high of $134.69. The business’s 50-day moving average is $122.11 and its 200 day moving average is $111.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The stock has a market cap of $990.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.37, a PEG ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced 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 of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is presently 34.31%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 279,703 shares of company stock valued at $34,140,843. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.