Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. Has $147.28 Million Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Cambridge Investment Research Advisors increased its Walmart stake by 2.8% in the fourth quarter, bringing its position to 1,321,951 shares worth about $147.3 million.
• Walmart reported a better-than-expected quarter, posting $0.74 EPS on $190.66 billion in revenue, with sales up 5.6% year over year. The company also reiterated forward guidance for FY2027 and Q1 2027.
• Analysts remain broadly constructive on Walmart, with a Buy consensus and an average price target of $138.88, while several firms recently raised their targets. Meanwhile, insiders have sold shares recently, including EVP John D. Rainey and EVP Daniel J. Bartlett.

Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 2.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,321,951 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 36,603 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $147,279,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Noesis Capital Mangement Corp lifted its holdings in Walmart by 15.0% in the fourth quarter. Noesis Capital Mangement Corp now owns 2,870 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $320,000 after buying an additional 375 shares during the period. Hills Bank & Trust Co raised its holdings in Walmart by 26.3% in the fourth quarter. Hills Bank & Trust Co now owns 11,054 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,232,000 after purchasing an additional 2,304 shares during the period. Qsemble Capital Management LP raised its holdings in Walmart by 6.4% in the fourth quarter. Qsemble Capital Management LP now owns 85,929 shares of the retailer's stock worth $9,573,000 after purchasing an additional 5,134 shares during the period. Lawood & Co. acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $675,000. Finally, Stephens Inc. AR raised its holdings in Walmart by 4.0% in the fourth quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 1,443,129 shares of the retailer's stock worth $160,790,000 after purchasing an additional 55,336 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $131.45 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.05 trillion, a PE ratio of 47.97, a PEG ratio of 4.89 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $93.43 and a 1-year high of $134.69. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $126.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $119.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $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. Research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart's payout ratio is presently 36.13%.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction 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 directly owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. The trade was a 3.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,335 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.63, for a total transaction of $166,381.05. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 636,843 shares in the company, valued at $79,369,743.09. The trade was a 0.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 167,195 shares of company stock worth $20,975,804. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS and other analysts expect Walmart to deliver another strong quarter, helped by resilient grocery demand, e-commerce growth, and advertising momentum, which could support the stock if results meet or exceed expectations.
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America said Walmart’s consistent sales growth should be rewarded by the market, reinforcing the view that WMT remains a defensive growth name ahead of earnings.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary also highlights Walmart as a long-term growth and momentum stock, with investors continuing to search for the name ahead of the report.
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart said it will host its first-quarter earnings conference call on May 21, keeping attention focused on upcoming results and guidance rather than any new business update. Walmart To Host First Quarter Earnings Conference Call May 21, 2026
• Negative Sentiment: One bearish analysis argued that expectations may be too high versus Walmart’s own guidance, warning that reported sales growth may not be enough to justify a further move higher and that investors may want to trim positions.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on WMT. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. BTIG Research increased their target price on shares of Walmart from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of Walmart from $127.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Two investment 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 company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $138.88.

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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