Sunbelt Securities Inc. Grows Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Sunbelt Securities Inc. grew its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 23.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 51,224 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 9,674 shares during the period. Sunbelt Securities Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $5,279,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Walmart by 0.9% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 435,652,710 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $44,898,368,000 after buying an additional 3,835,200 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $19,046,104,000 after acquiring an additional 2,242,364 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth $5,367,770,000. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,298,623 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,153,176,000 after acquiring an additional 634,211 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 31,973,329 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,126,775,000 after acquiring an additional 1,098,342 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT stock opened at $125.08 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $123.64 and its 200 day moving average price is $112.47. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $79.81 and a 12-month high of $134.69. 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 company has a market capitalization of $996.91 billion, a PE ratio of 45.65, a P/E/G ratio of 4.69 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.Walmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.66 EPS. 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 year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.13%.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is being recognized as a practical AI leader in retail—deploying inventory self‑healing, route optimization and a generative shopping assistant that raises average order value and trims costs; these initiatives support margins and long‑term growth.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s international segment showed strength in Q4 fiscal 2026 (roughly 7.5% sales growth and ~17% e‑commerce growth), providing another growth lever outside the US that can help offset domestic pressures. Walmart’s International Business Shows Strength
• Positive Sentiment: Leadership transition has been orderly; management is pushing AI and omnichannel execution that management expects will drive operating income and sales growth, which reassures long‑term investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart goes ex‑dividend on March 20 with a boosted payout; the headline dividend supports income investors, though some pieces debate sustainability. Walmart Is About to Pay a Boosted Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: WMT is drawing heavy retail investor attention and appears on multiple “trending” and comparison writeups; this increases volume and sentiment volatility but is not a direct catalyst. Walmart Is a Trending Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Amazon announced faster 1‑hour and 3‑hour delivery in US cities—heightening competition in same‑day/ultra‑fast delivery where Walmart has been investing. Faster Amazon service can pressure Walmart’s online share and margins in urban markets. Amazon launches 1-hour shipping in US cities
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts note Walmart trades at a premium valuation versus history/peers given its growth profile (e‑commerce, ads and omnichannel gains); concerns that the stock is “rich” make it vulnerable to any negative surprise or competitive threat. Walmart’s Valuation Looks Rich

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $125.00 target price (up from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $135.00 price target (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.76.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Donna Morris sold 76,181 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.79, for a total transaction of $9,430,445.99. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 402,072 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $49,772,492.88. The trade was a 15.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.91, for a total value of $1,508,193.75. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 733,841 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $84,325,669.31. This represents a 1.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 278,278 shares of company stock worth $33,974,118 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.