Rathbones Group PLC reduced its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 6.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,386,505 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 95,103 shares during the period. Rathbones Group PLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $154,471,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,709,000. CWM LLC lifted its position in Walmart by 24.2% during 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. boosted its holdings in Walmart by 16.6% in the 3rd quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 63,782 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $6,567,000 after acquiring an additional 9,061 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its holdings in Walmart by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,010,886 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $104,182,000 after acquiring an additional 28,026 shares during the period. Finally, World Investment Advisors grew its position in Walmart by 5.2% in the third quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 293,866 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $30,286,000 after acquiring an additional 14,487 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Trending Headlines about Walmart
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s marketplace is gaining traction, with reported ~20% marketplace sales growth and higher seller/fulfillment adoption that can boost gross margins through less inventory, more advertising revenue and memberships. Walmart Marketplace Gains Traction: What Does it Mean for Margins?
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding into premium beauty with a La Roche‑Posay rollout and pharmacist-led skincare consultations in ~1,460 stores — a move that could raise average basket spend and improve the company’s higher-margin assortment. Walmart’s La Roche Posay Push Tests Premium Beauty And Valuation Story
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is rolling out digital shelf tags across U.S. stores to improve store efficiency and margin management; investors should weigh potential cost savings and dynamic pricing flexibility against regulatory and customer concerns about pricing transparency. Walmart’s Digital Price Tags Put Valuation And Margin Story In Focus
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary remains generally constructive in recent media pieces assessing whether WMT is a buy and comparing it to peers; these stories support the narrative of steady fundamentals but don’t point to an imminent catalyst. Is Walmart (WMT) a Buy as Wall Street Analysts Look Optimistic?
- Neutral Sentiment: Corporate social programs (13th annual Fight Hunger. Spark Change.) and general corporate history pieces are positive for brand but unlikely to move the stock materially. For 13th consecutive year, Walmart, Sam’s Club and Feeding America partner for ‘Fight Hunger. Spark Change.
- Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: coverage notes WMT shares fell and snapped a six-session winning streak, reflecting near-term profit-taking or concern about valuation after a strong multi‑year run. Walmart shares snapped six-session winning streak
- Negative Sentiment: Headline pieces highlight that WMT slid despite broader market gains, reinforcing that investors are trimming exposure or re‑rating the stock amid valuation and pricing concerns. Walmart (WMT) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains: Important Facts to Note
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
View Our Latest Research Report on Walmart
Insider Buying and Selling
In other news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 533,466 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $65,082,852. The trade was a 6.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $62,203,571.56. The trade was a 3.95% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 274,278 shares of company stock worth $33,825,793. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Walmart Stock Performance
Walmart stock opened at $122.49 on Wednesday. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $81.03 and a 12-month high of $134.69. The company has a market capitalization of $976.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.69 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $125.26 and its 200 day moving average price is $114.74.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.66 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue 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. On average, research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Walmart Announces Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s payout ratio is presently 36.13%.
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.
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