Stephens Inc. AR Increases Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Stephens Inc. AR raised its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,387,793 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 32,436 shares during the period. Walmart makes up approximately 1.8% of Stephens Inc. AR’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Stephens Inc. AR’s holdings in Walmart were worth $143,086,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. CWM LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 24.2% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,175,703 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $121,168,000 after purchasing an additional 229,220 shares in the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 5,091,126 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $497,771,000 after purchasing an additional 42,645 shares during the last quarter. Aviva PLC boosted its position in 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 buying an additional 539,504 shares in the last quarter. Weatherly Asset Management L. P. grew 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 worth $5,489,000 after buying an additional 3,696 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Willis Johnson & Associates Inc. increased 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 buying an additional 18,485 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $107.78, for a total value of $1,414,612.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 892,940 shares in the company, valued at $96,241,073.20. The trade was a 1.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.57, for a total value of $2,127,411.12. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 4,334,747 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $474,958,228.79. The trade was a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 124,078 shares of company stock worth $13,523,502 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT stock opened at $120.36 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $959.29 billion, a PE ratio of 42.08, a PEG ratio of 5.03 and a beta of 0.66. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $110.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $104.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.24. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $79.81 and a one year high of $120.51.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share (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 firm had revenue of $179.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $175.15 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.58 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Goldman highlights upside to Walmart’s sales as AI integrations start to show results; the report frames AI (Google Gemini + ChatGPT) tie‑ups as revenue catalysts that could lift e‑commerce sales and margins. Walmart’s AI push with Google Gemini and ChatGPT is starting to pay off: Goldman flags sales upside ahead
• Positive Sentiment: Partnerships with Alphabet (Google/Gemini) and expanded drone deliveries position Walmart to improve search/checkout conversion and last‑mile economics—directly supporting digital sales growth. Walmart Partners With Alphabet On New A.I. Shopping Platform
• Positive Sentiment: Inclusion in the Nasdaq‑100 is mechanically attracting index and ETF flows and has helped drive recent record highs, reinforcing momentum and institutional interest. Walmart Stock Gaining Steam Ahead of Debut on Nasdaq-100
• Positive Sentiment: Industry research notes Walmart is closing the online gap with Amazon — faster structural change in its omnichannel model supports a sustainable e‑commerce tailwind. Walmart’s Closing the Amazon Online Sales Gap
• Positive Sentiment: Insider buying (Shishir Mehrotra purchased roughly $93K of WMT shares) and unusually large call‑option volume signal bullish conviction from some insiders and traders. Shishir Mehrotra’s Recent Buy: Acquires $93K In Walmart Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary about a rotation into value names frames Walmart as a defensive beneficiary (steady cash flow, dividend) if growth stocks face rate‑sensitivity headwinds. Tech Wreck or Valuation Reset? Rotating to Value in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns: some analysts and retail commentators argue WMT looks rich (high P/E relative to staples history) and have trimmed or sold positions, which could cap upside if macro growth slows. Walmart Is Overvalued – I’ve Just Sold My Shares (Rating Downgrade)
• Negative Sentiment: Macro and execution risks remain (Fed/rates uncertainty, competition, margin pressure); commentators outline scenarios that could pull WMT lower if e‑commerce investments don’t accelerate margin gains. What Can Send Walmart Stock Price Down?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently weighed in on WMT. Mizuho set a $125.00 price objective on Walmart and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Truist Financial set a $127.00 price target on Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. DA Davidson set a $130.00 price objective on Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 target price (up from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday. Thirty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $122.60.

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.