Comerica Bank Reduces Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Comerica Bank trimmed its Walmart stake by 3.0%, selling 42,873 shares and leaving 1,387,372 shares worth $154.57 million (about 0.6% of Comerica’s portfolio and its 26th-largest holding).
• Insiders have been net sellers: two executive VPs recently sold shares (John D. Rainey 20,000; Christopher J. Nicholas 34,082) and insiders have sold 263,376 shares valued at $32.85 million in the past 90 days.
• Walmart beat Q4 expectations, reporting $0.74 EPS on $190.66 billion revenue and issuing FY2027 guidance of $2.75–$2.85 EPS, while analysts maintain an overall "Buy" consensus with an average target of $137.79.

Comerica Bank cut its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 3.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,387,372 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 42,873 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up approximately 0.6% of Comerica Bank's portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Comerica Bank's holdings in Walmart were worth $154,567,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Walmart by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,561 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $285,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,955 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $552,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Matrix Trust Co lifted its holdings in Walmart by 20.0% during the fourth quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 547 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. HRC Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 4.4% during the fourth quarter. HRC Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,209 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $246,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dunhill Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 6.0% during the fourth quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 1,672 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $186,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total transaction of $2,445,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 506,764 shares in the company, valued at $61,962,034.28. This trade represents a 3.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the 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 transaction, 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 263,376 shares of company stock valued at $32,851,650 in the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT stock opened at $127.59 on Wednesday. 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 company's 50 day moving average is $125.43 and its 200 day moving average is $117.39. The stock has a market cap of $1.02 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.75 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $91.89 and a 1-year high of $134.69.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. Walmart'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 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

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

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is overhauling store leadership roles by eliminating the store lead title and converting those employees into manager/coach roles with a pathway to much higher pay (reports highlight potential salaries up to $400K). Management says this is aimed at boosting store execution and retention — a potential long‑term benefit to sales and customer experience, though it could raise payroll costs in some markets. Walmart is changing its roadmap to $400K store managerial role
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart Connect expanded its CTV/streaming ad capabilities with a curated marketplace (Connect Select) and more partner integrations, making it easier for mid‑sized advertisers to buy streaming inventory — this supports faster growth in higher‑margin advertising revenue. Walmart Simplifies Streaming Ads for Mid-Sized Business
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts note Walmart’s earnings mix is diversifying: Q4 profits benefited from ads, memberships and e‑commerce gains, which can strengthen resilience vs. pure retail sales — a positive structural shift for margins and recurring revenue. Walmart Builds Diversified Profit Streams: Is Resilience Strengthening?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart added the NBPure MagO7 60‑count product to store shelves, expanding health & wellness assortment and incremental category sales — a small but positive merchandising win. NBPure Launches Exclusive MagO7 60-Count at Walmart
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart appears on retail and social lists as a top dividend/quality stock (Reddit/financial blogs)—positive PR but not a material operational driver. Is Walmart (WMT) One of the Best Quality Dividend Stocks to Buy According to Reddit?
• Negative Sentiment: Shares have pulled back recently (reported decline on the latest close), suggesting investors are weighing the company’s valuation (elevated P/E and PEG relative to historical averages) and near‑term margin risk from any higher labor costs or softer traffic. Walmart (WMT) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains: Important Facts to Note

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. DA Davidson set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Telsey Advisory Group increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $127.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Erste Group Bank raised shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $138.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $137.79.

Walmart Company 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.

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