Arvest Bank Trust Division Raises Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Arvest Bank Trust Division increased its Walmart stake by 15.3% in the fourth quarter, adding 60,304 shares to reach 453,262 shares valued at about $50.5 million.
• Several other major institutions also boosted their Walmart holdings, including Vanguard, AQR Capital, and Amundi, highlighting continued strong institutional interest in the stock.
• Walmart’s latest quarter showed solid fundamentals, with revenue up 7.4% year over year to $177.75 billion and EPS matching estimates at $0.66, while analysts largely remain positive with a Moderate Buy consensus.

Arvest Bank Trust Division grew its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 15.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 453,262 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 60,304 shares during the period. Walmart makes up 2.7% of Arvest Bank Trust Division's portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest position. Arvest Bank Trust Division's holdings in Walmart were worth $50,498,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 188.1% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,199,907,000 after buying an additional 7,614,172 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Walmart by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer's stock worth $49,015,626,000 after purchasing an additional 4,304,436 shares during the period. Amundi raised its position in shares of Walmart by 20.5% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 23,497,921 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,413,236,000 after purchasing an additional 4,004,277 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the third quarter worth about $294,621,000. Finally, Axxcess Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 1,061.8% during the fourth quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,042,724 shares of the retailer's stock worth $338,989,000 after purchasing an additional 2,780,817 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is set to join the top 10 of the Russell 3000 during the June 2026 reconstitution, a sign of its large market footprint and institutional relevance. Walmart Joins Russell 3000 Elite As Investors Weigh Q1 Shakeup
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart launched a logistics program to streamline its distribution network, which could improve supplier flow, efficiency, and long-term operating performance. Walmart Debuts Program to Streamline Distribution Network
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to point to Walmart’s expanding higher-margin “second P&L” businesses, including advertising, marketplace fees, and membership income, which support the stock’s long-term growth case. Walmart price target lowered by UBS as Q1 results miss elevated expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s Q1 revenue rose 7.3% to $177.8 billion, and global e-commerce jumped 26%, showing that customer demand and digital growth remain strong. Walmart's Q1 Sales Jump 7.3%: Can E-commerce Sustain 26% Growth?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is drawing increased investor attention as a trending stock, reflecting elevated trading interest after earnings. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Negative Sentiment: Several reports highlight that Walmart’s shares have pulled back sharply after Q1 because fuel and other costs are squeezing margins and management’s outlook came in below expectations. Walmart Sinks 8.1% Post Q1 Earnings: Exit WMT Stock or Stay Put?
• Negative Sentiment: UBS lowered its price target on Walmart after the quarter, reinforcing concerns that investor expectations had gotten too high. Walmart price target lowered by UBS as Q1 results miss elevated expectations
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart issued a nationwide recall for Blackstone parmesan ranch seasoning over a fatal infection risk, creating a reputational and product-safety overhang. Walmart issues nationwide recall for Blackstone parmesan ranch seasoning over fatal infection risk

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on WMT shares. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 target price on Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $138.71.

Walmart Stock Performance

WMT opened at $118.57 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $126.51 and a 200 day simple moving average of $120.41. The company has a market capitalization of $945.12 billion, a PE ratio of 41.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $93.43 and a 1 year high of $135.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.61 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. Research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.77, for a total value of $167,212.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 635,593 shares in the company, valued at $85,023,275.61. The trade was a 0.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total value of $359,368.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 577,853 shares of the company's stock, valued at $71,607,543.76. This trade represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 126,008 shares of company stock worth $15,896,715 over the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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