Alecta Tjanstepension Omsesidigt Increases Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Alecta Tjanstepension Omsesidigt increased its Walmart stake by 17.1% in Q4, adding 186,400 shares to hold 1,277,800 shares valued at about $142.2 million.
• Walmart posted an EPS and revenue beat for the quarter and reiterated FY2027 guidance of $2.75–$2.85, while several analysts raised price targets (up to $145) and the consensus rating remains "Buy" with an average target of $137.94.
• Insiders sold roughly 167,195 shares (~$21.0M) in the past 90 days, and valuation questions persist given a P/E around 47.5 and recent critical commentary on the stock's valuation.

Alecta Tjanstepension Omsesidigt grew its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 17.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,277,800 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 186,400 shares during the quarter. Alecta Tjanstepension Omsesidigt's holdings in Walmart were worth $142,245,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,561 shares of the retailer's stock worth $285,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,955 shares of the retailer's stock worth $552,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group now owns 14,475 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,613,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Matrix Trust Co lifted its position in Walmart by 20.0% during the 4th quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 547 shares of the retailer's stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, HRC Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Walmart by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. HRC Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,209 shares of the retailer's stock worth $246,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart reported an EPS and revenue beat for the latest quarter and reiterated FY2027 guidance (EPS 2.75–2.85), which supports the company’s cash flow and dividend outlook.
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG raised its price target to $145 and kept a "buy" rating, providing analyst support that implies upside from current levels. BTIG raises WMT price target
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage pieces highlighting Walmart as a long-term dividend compounder reinforce investor confidence in its shareholder-return profile. Walmart dividend long-term payoff
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart Canada launched a spring fundraising campaign with a $1M donation to Children's Miracle Network—positive PR but limited direct impact on U.S. retail fundamentals. Walmart Canada fundraising campaign
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative retail coverage looking at Walmart vs. Target and Costco is informational for market share and sentiment but doesn't immediately change fundamentals. Big-box chain comparison
• Neutral Sentiment: Hedge fund RWWM trimmed a small Walmart stake (2,388 shares); this is a minor institutional move and unlikely to drive major stock direction alone. RWWM trims WMT stake
• Negative Sentiment: Workers and safety headlines: Walmart partially reversed recent cart-handling rules for employees filling online orders after safety concerns, a labor/safety issue that can invite scrutiny and operational friction. Walmart changes cart rules after safety concerns
• Negative Sentiment: A recent Seeking Alpha piece argues Walmart’s current valuation is hard to justify, highlighting the high P/E and moderating growth — commentary that can pressure sentiment among value/quant funds. Seeking Alpha valuation critique

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.72, for a total transaction of $361,688.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 596,008 shares in the company, valued at approximately $74,334,117.76. This represents a 0.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total value of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. The trade was a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 167,195 shares of company stock worth $20,975,804. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on WMT. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $145.00 price target (up from $136.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 price target on Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. BTIG Research lifted their price target on Walmart from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Erste Group Bank raised Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price target on Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $137.94.

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $130.08 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $125.85 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $118.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.04 trillion, a P/E ratio of 47.47, a PEG ratio of 4.87 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $91.89 and a fifty-two week high of $134.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.79.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The company's revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter 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, equities analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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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