Narwhal Capital Management Cuts Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Narwhal Capital Management decreased its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 29.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 22,689 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 9,517 shares during the period. Narwhal Capital Management’s holdings in Walmart were worth $2,338,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. CWM LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 24.2% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,175,703 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $121,168,000 after buying an additional 229,220 shares during the period. Neuberger Berman Group LLC grew its holdings in Walmart by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 5,091,126 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $497,771,000 after acquiring an additional 42,645 shares during the last quarter. Aviva PLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 16.4% in the second quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 3,833,720 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $374,861,000 after acquiring an additional 539,504 shares during the period. Weatherly Asset Management L. P. raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 7.0% during the second quarter. Weatherly Asset Management L. P. now owns 56,140 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,489,000 after acquiring an additional 3,696 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Willis Johnson & Associates Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 76.6% during the second quarter. Willis Johnson & Associates Inc. now owns 42,626 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,168,000 after purchasing an additional 18,485 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays reiterated its Buy rating on WMT, reinforcing institutional confidence in Walmart’s outlook and supporting demand for the stock. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target to $125 (from $115) and kept an Outperform/Overweight view, signaling upward analyst momentum that can boost buying interest. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo also lifted its target to $130 and remains constructive on Walmart, adding to the analyst support narrative behind the rally. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart launched “Better Care Services,” a digital healthcare platform and lowered prices on some health items — a strategic push that could expand margins and services revenue over time. Analysts are re-assessing valuation with this new health push in mind. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart added Shishir Mehrotra (ex-Grammarly/Superhuman) to its board — a governance move emphasizing AI and e‑commerce expertise that investors view as strengthening Walmart’s tech roadmap. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart launched a celebrity fashion line (Millie Bobby Brown) aimed at teens and young women — a branding/merchandising boost but likely modest near-term financial impact. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage notes (Zacks, Kalkine, AmericanBankingNews) show elevated investor attention and a consensus “moderate buy,” which keeps the stock in focus but doesn’t single-handedly move fundamentals. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Amazon received approval to build a 225,000 sq ft Walmart-style supercenter near Chicago that would blend in-store shopping with fulfillment — a clear competitive threat to Walmart’s grocery and omnichannel footprint in key markets. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank downgraded Walmart from Buy to Hold with a $119 target, signaling some analyst caution (limits upside relative to recent price moves) and adding selling pressure for more risk‑sensitive investors. Read More.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.21, for a total value of $460,840.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 1,031,455 shares in the company, valued at $118,833,930.55. This represents a 0.39% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.91, for a total value of $1,508,193.75. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 733,841 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $84,325,669.31. The trade was a 1.76% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 125,628 shares of company stock worth $13,690,065. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $114.53 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The company has a 50-day moving average of $109.73 and a 200 day moving average of $103.73. The firm has a market cap of $912.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.05, a PEG ratio of 5.22 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $79.81 and a 1 year high of $117.45.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on WMT shares. Wolfe Research began coverage on Walmart in a research report on Thursday, September 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $129.00 price target for the company. KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating and set a $128.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $130.00 price target (up previously from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, December 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $119.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Thursday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $129.00 target price (up previously from $122.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday. Thirty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $122.37.

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.