Bank of Nova Scotia Buys 96,672 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Bank of Nova Scotia increased its stake in Walmart by 11.1%, buying 96,672 shares to hold 967,224 shares valued at about $99.7 million as of the latest SEC filing.
• Walmart’s digital momentum remains a key driver—eCommerce grew roughly 24% as the company slightly beat quarterly revenue and EPS and set FY2027 guidance of $2.75–2.85 EPS, while the stock trades at a high P/E of about 46 and a $1.01 trillion market cap.
• Insider selling has been notable (279,703 shares sold in the last 90 days), but analysts remain largely constructive with a consensus "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $135.76.

Bank of Nova Scotia grew its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 11.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 967,224 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 96,672 shares during the quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia's holdings in Walmart were worth $99,682,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Collier Financial purchased a new position in Walmart during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 212.6% in the 3rd quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 322 shares of the retailer's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the third quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart reported continued digital strength: eCommerce grew ~24% in the fiscal fourth quarter, reinforcing its omnichannel momentum and supporting revenue beat and modest upside to guidance — a clear near-term growth driver. Walmart eCommerce Up 24: Can Digital Momentum Continue?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and portfolio shops remain constructive: Tigress Financial reiterated a Buy and raised its price target to $150, citing Walmart’s shift toward tech-driven omnichannel operations — a signal of upward analyst sentiment. Tigress Financial Sees Walmart Inc. (WMT) as Tech-Driven Retail Leader
• Positive Sentiment: Flipkart IPO progress (Walmart-backed) remains a potential longer-term upside — an equity event that could unlock value and generate cash/strategic optionality. Walmart-backed Flipkart preps for an IPO as early as this year
• Neutral Sentiment: Schaeffer’s options commentary flagged bullish setups and the possibility of further record highs for WMT — useful for options traders but not a broad fundamental catalyst. Walmart Stock Could Nab More Record Highs
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysis pieces (The Motley Fool) flag that Walmart’s digital push could pay off if fulfillment economics and ROIC improve; it’s strategic upside but execution-dependent. Will Walmart's Digital Push Pay Off in 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is referenced in pieces about stock splits and retail-focused ETFs — background thematic support but not an immediate catalyst. 3 ETFs That Could Benefit as Consumers Tighten Their Budgets (WMT)
• Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical risk: coverage notes the Iran war and possible Strait of Hormuz disruptions could push supply-chain costs and retail prices higher — a margin and inflation risk for Walmart. How the Iran war could start to impact U.S. retail prices
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and sentiment pressure: commentary (247WallStreet) highlights retail investor criticism of WMT’s ~46x multiple and recent bearish social sentiment, raising the risk of multiple compression if growth disappoints. Reddit’s Loudest Walmart Critics Have a Point About That 46x Multiple

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $126.52 on Friday. 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 stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $123.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $111.95. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $79.81 and a 1-year high of $134.69. The firm has a market cap of $1.01 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results 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 return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.66 earnings per share. The business's 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. Analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart's payout ratio is currently 36.13%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the business'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 sale, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares of the company's stock, valued at $62,203,571.56. The trade was a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total transaction of $4,158,004.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 533,466 shares in the company, valued at $65,082,852. The trade was a 6.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 279,703 shares of company stock valued at $34,140,843. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently commented on WMT. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Mizuho upped their price objective on Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $135.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Barclays reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $125.00 target price (up from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Walmart from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $135.76.

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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