Ethic Inc. Raises Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Ethic Inc. increased its Walmart stake by 12.1% in the fourth quarter, buying 17,047 additional shares and bringing its holdings to 158,043 shares valued at about $17.6 million.
• Institutional investors continue to hold a significant position in Walmart, with funds like Vanguard and State Street also adding shares; overall, institutions own 26.76% of the company.
• Walmart has seen broadly positive analyst sentiment, including raised price targets from several firms and a consensus rating of “Buy” with an average target price of $138.09.

Ethic Inc. grew its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 12.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 158,043 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 17,047 shares during the period. Ethic Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $17,608,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in WMT. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Walmart by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $49,015,626,000 after buying an additional 4,304,436 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer's stock worth $19,046,104,000 after acquiring an additional 2,242,364 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.6% in the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,298,623 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $4,153,176,000 after acquiring an additional 634,211 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 3.5% during the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 27,268,463 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,810,288,000 after acquiring an additional 934,468 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.4% during the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 24,990,692 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,575,541,000 after acquiring an additional 93,459 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total transaction of $1,600,725.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 687,287 shares in the company, valued at approximately $83,821,522.52. The trade was a 1.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal 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, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at $62,203,571.56. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 167,195 shares of company stock worth $20,975,804 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on WMT shares. DA Davidson set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. KeyCorp reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $145.00 target price (up from $128.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Truist Financial raised their price target on Walmart from $127.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $145.00 price target on Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Argus raised Walmart to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $138.09.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen boosted its price target on Walmart to $150 and kept a Buy rating, which supports sentiment around the stock. Walmart (WMT) Gets a Buy from TD Cowen
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart was included among the 10 best inflation-hedge stocks for 2026, reinforcing its defensive appeal if consumer budgets remain tight. Walmart (WMT) – Among the 10 Best Inflation-Hedge Stocks to Buy for 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Another write-up echoed the inflation-hedge theme and TD Cowen’s raised target, adding to the bullish analyst narrative. Walmart (WMT) – Among the 10 Best Inflation-Hedge Stocks to Buy for 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart opened a third U.S. milk processing facility, which may support supply-chain control and lower long-term costs. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Opens Third Milk Processing Facility in the United States, Reuters Reports
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart expanded its wellness aisles with exclusive men’s grooming and women’s health products, which could help drive traffic and sales in higher-margin categories. Walmart Expands Wellness Aisles With Exclusive Grooming And Women’s Health Lines
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage ahead of retail earnings highlighted Walmart as a key read on consumer spending, but this is more of a macro watch item than a direct catalyst. Retail Earnings Will Show How Much Pressure Consumers Are Under
• Neutral Sentiment: CNBC noted that higher-income shoppers are helping drive Walmart’s strength this year, underscoring a favorable demand mix. Walmart has been on fire this year. How high earners are driving up the stock
• Neutral Sentiment: BTIG Research also issued a positive outlook on Walmart, adding to the broader analyst support. BTIG Research Issues Positive Forecast for Walmart NASDAQ: WMT Stock Price

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $130.43 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $125.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $118.22. The company has a market capitalization of $1.04 trillion, a P/E ratio of 47.60, a PEG ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $91.89 and a 1-year high of $134.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted 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. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The company had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.66 earnings per share. Walmart's quarterly 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. Sell-side analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The firm 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 of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is presently 36.13%.

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.

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