Cartenna Capital LP Takes $103.06 Million Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Cartenna Capital LP acquired 1,000,000 shares of Walmart (~$103.06 million) in Q3, making WMT 2.9% of its portfolio and the fund's fourth-largest holding.
• Walmart reported strong digital momentum with eCommerce up ~24%, posted a slight EPS and revenue beat, and has seen upward analyst sentiment (consensus "Moderate Buy", average price target $135.76, several targets as high as $150).
• Potential headwinds include a high valuation (P/E ~46), material insider selling in recent months, and geopolitical/supply-chain risks that could pressure margins and sentiment.

Cartenna Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 1,000,000 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $103,060,000. Walmart comprises 2.9% of Cartenna Capital LP's investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest holding.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. now owns 748,807 shares of the retailer's stock worth $77,172,000 after acquiring an additional 14,213 shares during the period. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 21.1% during the 3rd quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 80,608 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,307,000 after acquiring an additional 14,029 shares during the last quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. raised its stake in Walmart by 7.9% in the 3rd quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 804,144 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $82,856,000 after acquiring an additional 58,743 shares during the period. Chilton Investment Co. Inc. raised its stake in Walmart by 7.8% in the 3rd quarter. Chilton Investment Co. Inc. now owns 42,344 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $4,364,000 after acquiring an additional 3,047 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia lifted its holdings in Walmart by 11.1% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 967,224 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $99,682,000 after purchasing an additional 96,672 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $135.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $150.00 price objective on the stock. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $135.76.

Walmart Stock Up 0.9%

WMT opened at $126.52 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $79.81 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. The company has a market capitalization of $1.01 trillion, a P/E ratio of 46.18, a P/E/G ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.66. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $123.16 and a 200-day moving average of $111.95.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 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 period in the prior year, the company posted $0.66 earnings per share. Walmart's 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 expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.99, for a total value of $1,574,868.75. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 727,155 shares in the company, valued at approximately $87,251,328.45. The trade was a 1.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total value of $2,445,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 506,764 shares in the company, valued at $61,962,034.28. This represents a 3.80% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 279,703 shares of company stock worth $34,140,843. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Walmart Profile

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.