McGuire Investment Group LLC lessened its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 12.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 127,236 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 17,784 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up about 1.5% of McGuire Investment Group LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. McGuire Investment Group LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $14,175,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,709,000. CWM LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 24.2% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,175,703 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $121,168,000 after acquiring an additional 229,220 shares in the last quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 16.6% in the third quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 63,782 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $6,567,000 after purchasing an additional 9,061 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 2.9% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,010,886 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $104,182,000 after purchasing an additional 28,026 shares in the last quarter. Finally, World Investment Advisors lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 5.2% in the third quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 293,866 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $30,286,000 after purchasing an additional 14,487 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of analysts have recently issued reports on WMT shares. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, March 6th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 target price (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $134.00 price objective (up from $129.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Guggenheim increased their price objective on Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $137.64.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total value of $4,158,004.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 533,466 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $65,082,852. This trade represents a 6.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 246,016 shares of company stock worth $30,431,872 in the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Walmart Stock Down 0.2%
Walmart stock opened at $124.76 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $994.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.53, a P/E/G ratio of 4.66 and a beta of 0.66. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $125.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $115.64. 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 1-year low of $90.61 and a 1-year high of $134.69.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.66 EPS. Walmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Walmart Announces Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid 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 of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.13%.
Walmart News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart launched “Upstream Facility Services,” a nationwide B2B offering that leverages its store-based maintenance teams to sell HVAC and facility services — a new recurring revenue channel that can improve store-level economics and margins over time. Walmart introduces Upstream Facility Services
- Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim raised its price target on WMT to $137 (from $120) and reiterated a Buy — analyst backing that can support the stock and attract buyers after recent pullbacks. Walmart (WMT) – Among the Early Retirement Portfolio: Top 15 Stocks to Buy
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart is redesigning its Great Value private-label packaging (first major refresh in a decade) to boost appeal to price-conscious shoppers — a move that can lift private-label sales mix and margins. Walmart redesigns its ‘Great Value’ private label brand
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart joined the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol — a sustainability move that reduces sourcing risk and may help brand/retailer relationships but has limited immediate financial impact. Walmart Joins U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
- Neutral Sentiment: New distribution wins (e.g., Pet Honesty nationwide at ~13,000 stores) add incremental SKU sales and assortment depth but are modest near-term drivers. Pet Honesty® Expands to Walmart Stores Nationwide
- Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary continues to label WMT a defensive, market-beating consumer staple — supportive for long-term inflows but not necessarily a catalyst for immediate upside. Market on Sale: 2 Stocks Worth Buying With $1,000 Amid the Chaos
- Negative Sentiment: Despite the positive strategic news and analyst support, the stock saw selling pressure (reported declines in recent sessions), suggesting profit-taking or broader market moves are outweighing headlines today. Walmart (WMT) Stock Declines While Market Improves
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.
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