Jennison Associates LLC Sells 3,426,361 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Jennison Associates LLC reduced its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 14.0% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 21,023,710 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 3,426,361 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up 1.3% of Jennison Associates LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest position. Jennison Associates LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $2,166,704,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Access Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. PFS Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 267.8% during the second quarter. PFS Partners LLC now owns 320 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 233 shares in the last quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc raised its position in shares of Walmart by 212.6% during the third quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 322 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Harbor Asset Planning Inc. acquired a new stake in Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at $46,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $117.73 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $113.07 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $105.20. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $79.81 and a twelve month high of $121.62. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $938.33 billion, a PE ratio of 41.16, a P/E/G ratio of 5.02 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released 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 company had revenue of $179.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $175.15 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.58 EPS. Walmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.91, for a total transaction of $1,508,193.75. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 733,841 shares in the company, valued at $84,325,669.31. This represents a 1.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.83, for a total transaction of $2,171,291.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,315,333 shares in the company, valued at approximately $482,583,689.39. The trade was a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 135,215 shares of company stock valued at $15,304,608 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on WMT. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $123.00 target price (up previously from $111.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, November 21st. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 target price (up previously from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 price objective (up from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Thirty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $123.20.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial raised its price target on WMT from $130 to $135 and kept a “buy” rating, implying roughly a mid-teens upside vs. current levels — a catalyst that can attract momentum and fund flows. Tigress price target raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces from Zacks highlight WMT as a growth/retail pick and promote using their Earnings ESP tool to find potential upside ahead of quarters — these pieces can bolster investor interest but are promotional rather than firm-moving. Zacks Earnings ESP article
• Neutral Sentiment: Another Zacks piece profiles Walmart as a “strong growth stock” using its style scores — supportive for longer-term investor narratives but unlikely to move the stock materially on its own. Zacks growth profile
• Neutral Sentiment: A Yahoo video piece outlines three priorities for Walmart’s CEO to maintain momentum — useful context on management focus that may shape execution expectations but not an immediate market mover. Yahoo CEO priorities video
• Negative Sentiment: CEO C. Douglas McMillon sold 19,416 shares for about $2.31M (reported 1/22). The sale reduced his stake by ~0.45% — a modest ownership decline but an optics negative that can weigh on sentiment when combined with near-term weakness. SEC Form 4: McMillon sale
• Negative Sentiment: Market reports note recent short-term share weakness (a daily slide reported on 1/22). That intraday/short-term weakness can amplify selling even as fundamentals remain intact. Zacks: stock slides

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.