World Investment Advisors Increases Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

World Investment Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 9.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 320,214 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 26,348 shares during the period. Walmart comprises 0.6% of World Investment Advisors’ investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. World Investment Advisors’ holdings in Walmart were worth $35,675,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in Walmart during the third quarter worth about $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $140.00 price objective (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $145.00 price objective (up from $128.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $135.76.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total transaction of $4,158,004.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 533,466 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,082,852. This represents a 6.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total value of $1,600,725.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 687,287 shares in the company, valued at approximately $83,821,522.52. The trade was a 1.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 274,278 shares of company stock valued at $33,605,809. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $119.02 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $124.08 and a 200-day simple moving average of $112.85. 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 company has a market cap of $948.88 billion, a PE ratio of 43.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.43 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $79.81 and a 12 month high of $134.69.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.66 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

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 paid a dividend of $0.2475 per share. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is currently 34.31%.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Growing AI narrative and modest analyst upside: coverage notes that Walmart’s AI investments (supply-chain, store ops) are reshaping its growth story and one valuation model nudged fair value slightly higher to ~$136, supporting longer-term upside. This bolsters bullish investor interest in WMT as a tech-enabled retailer. How Walmart (WMT) Is Rewriting Its Story With AI Hype And Valuation Questions
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/technical support for defensive retail: coverage from Barron’s highlights Walmart alongside other defensive retail names on both technical and fundamental grounds, which can attract risk-off flows and relative-strength buyers in uncertain markets. Walmart, Ross Stores, and Other ‘Defensive’ Retail Stocks
• Positive Sentiment: Market narrative that Walmart is an AI play: features arguing Walmart (and Target) are meaningful AI plays could lift investor conviction around margin improvement and efficiency gains over time. Forget Chipmakers: Walmart and Target Are the Real AI Plays
• Neutral Sentiment: Higher-than-usual call buying: intraday activity showed a ~42% increase in call option volume, which signals bullish positioning but could be speculative or short-term. Watch whether this leads to sustained buying or just short-term gamma flow.
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO transition focus: commentary on managing and positioning around CEO transitions notes both risk and opportunity — transitions can create volatility but also potential strategic shifts. Investors should watch messaging and execution from leadership. How to Play 3 Major CEO Transitions in Early 2026 (WMT)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by CEO: CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares (~1.87% reduction in his position) in a disclosed SEC filing — insider sales can be interpreted negatively by some investors even if part of routine diversification. Insider Sale SEC Filing

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.