Dorato Capital Management Makes New $1.38 Million Investment in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Dorato Capital Management acquired a new stake of 11,473 Walmart shares worth about $1.377 million in Q4, representing roughly 1.0% of Dorato's holdings and its 25th-largest position.
• Insider selling has been notable: CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares at ~$129.10 and EVP Christopher J. Nicholas sold 34,082 shares at $122, with insiders offloading 274,278 shares (~$33.8M) over the last quarter and now owning ~0.10% of the company.
• Company performance: Walmart is a ~$1.0 trillion market-cap company that beat recent quarterly EPS and revenue estimates, issued FY2027 EPS guidance of $2.75–$2.85, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.2475 (approximately a 0.8% yield).

Dorato Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 11,473 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,377,000. Walmart comprises approximately 1.0% of Dorato Capital Management's holdings, making the stock its 25th biggest position.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 28.8% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,868,000 after purchasing an additional 21,939 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer's stock worth $800,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Management lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 3.5% in the first quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $4,416,000 after purchasing an additional 1,715 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.9% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 13,008 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,272,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 1.2% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 91,341 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,931,000 after buying an additional 1,048 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.10, for a total value of $1,694,437.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 591,084 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $76,308,944.40. The trade was a 2.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 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 value of $4,158,004.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 533,466 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,082,852. The trade was a 6.01% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 274,278 shares of company stock valued at $33,825,793. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $125.79 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.00 trillion, a PE ratio of 45.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.69 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $124.97 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $114.28. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $79.81 and a 1 year high of $134.69.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $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. Analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

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

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group upgraded Walmart from "hold" to "strong-buy," signaling institutional confidence and likely supporting demand for the shares. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: A bullish analyst note projects steady growth and a 12-month price target (~$130.57), giving investors a modest upside thesis tied to continued execution. Walmart Price Prediction: Steady Growth Makes Analysts Bullish
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart will pay its second 2026 dividend on April 6, which supports income-focused holders and can reduce near-term selling pressure around income flows. Walmart to pay 2026's second dividend in April; Here's how much 100 WMT shares will earn
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is testing a Sam’s Club membership fee increase and raising rewards caps — a sign of pricing power and potential margin upside if membership retention holds. Walmart Tests Sam's Club Fee Hike Against Member Value And Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts/coverage note Walmart is shifting toward growth via expanding ad revenue and memberships, and Sam’s Club expansion, which helps operating income outpace sales — a longer-term positive re-rating catalyst. Walmart Stock Is Transforming Into a Growth Stock. Is It Time to Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmex (Walmart’s Mexico unit) plans a $2.5B 2026 investment, signaling international expansion and capacity spending that could support future top-line growth. Walmart (WMT) Unit Walmex Plans $2.5B Investment in Mexico
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and pundit commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer) express bullish technical and sentiment views, which can amplify momentum trading but are less material than fundamental catalysts. Jim Cramer on Walmart
• Neutral Sentiment: Reporting shows Walmart shoppers so far are holding up despite ~$4 gas — a sign of resilience but also a watch item if fuel prices keep rising. Walmart shoppers aren't breaking under the weight of $4 gas (yet)
• Negative Sentiment: An AOL piece highlights a Walmart-related recession indicator at its highest since 2008 — a macro risk that could pressure consumer spending and margins if the signal proves accurate. A Walmart-related recession indicator is at its highest since the 2008 financial crisis

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $134.00 price target (up from $129.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $145.00 price objective (up from $136.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, DA Davidson set a $150.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $135.76.

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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