Focus Partners Wealth Grows Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Focus Partners Wealth increased its stake in Walmart by 4.1% in Q3, buying 97,445 shares to own 2,488,741 shares worth about $256.48M.
• Company insiders have been net sellers—EVPs Christopher James Nicholas and John D. Rainey sold large blocks (34,082 and 20,000 shares respectively), and insiders sold 278,278 shares (~$33.97M) in the past three months, leaving insiders with roughly 0.10% ownership.
• Walmart beat Q4 estimates (EPS $0.74) while eCommerce grew about 24%; management set FY27 EPS guidance at 2.75–2.85, and analysts show a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target near $135.76.

Focus Partners Wealth increased its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,488,741 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 97,445 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth's holdings in Walmart were worth $256,484,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of WMT. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 28.8% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,868,000 after purchasing an additional 21,939 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 5.8% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $800,000 after buying 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 worth $4,416,000 after buying 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 worth $1,272,000 after buying 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 worth $8,931,000 after acquiring an additional 1,048 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The stock was 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. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 278,278 shares of company stock worth $33,974,118. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on WMT shares. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating and set a $120.00 price objective (up from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, November 21st. BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $147.00 target price (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group boosted their target price on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $135.76.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $126.52 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $123.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $112.06. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $79.81 and a 52 week high of $134.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.01 trillion, a P/E ratio of 46.18, a PEG ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (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 firm had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.66 EPS. The business'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, analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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 dividend of $0.2475 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is 34.31%.

Key Stories 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

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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