Gateway Investment Advisers LLC Has $86.89 Million Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Gateway Investment Advisers cut its Walmart stake by 3.4% in Q4, selling 27,507 shares and finishing the quarter with 779,872 shares worth about $86.89 million (Walmart is ~0.8% of the firm's portfolio).
• Earnings beat and guidance: Walmart posted a slight EPS beat ($0.74 vs. $0.73) and $190.66B revenue (up 5.6% YoY), reiterated FY2027 EPS guidance of 2.75–2.85, and carries a consensus analyst Buy rating with a $137.94 price target.
• Insider selling and valuation caution: Insiders sold 167,195 shares (~$21M) over the past 90 days, and some commentators warn Walmart's high P/E (~47.5) could pressure sentiment despite analyst optimism.

Gateway Investment Advisers LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 3.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 779,872 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 27,507 shares during the period. Walmart comprises about 0.8% of Gateway Investment Advisers LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $86,886,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,561 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $285,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 1.8% during the 4th 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. Ellenbecker Investment Group lifted its holdings in Walmart by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group now owns 14,475 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,613,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Matrix Trust Co lifted its holdings in Walmart by 20.0% during the 4th 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. Finally, HRC Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 4.4% during the 4th 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. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $130.08 on Thursday. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $91.89 and a 1-year high of $134.69. The company has a market cap of $1.04 trillion, a PE ratio of 47.47, a P/E/G ratio of 4.87 and a beta of 0.65. 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 has a 50-day moving average of $125.85 and a two-hundred day moving average of $118.06.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.66 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid 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 dividend yield of 0.8%. Walmart's payout ratio is currently 36.13%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $140.00 price target (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Erste Group Bank raised shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 27th. They set a "buy" rating and a $150.00 price target for the company. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $135.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $137.94.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart reported an EPS and revenue beat for the latest quarter and reiterated FY2027 guidance (EPS 2.75–2.85), which supports the company’s cash flow and dividend outlook.
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG raised its price target to $145 and kept a "buy" rating, providing analyst support that implies upside from current levels. BTIG raises WMT price target
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage pieces highlighting Walmart as a long-term dividend compounder reinforce investor confidence in its shareholder-return profile. Walmart dividend long-term payoff
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart Canada launched a spring fundraising campaign with a $1M donation to Children's Miracle Network—positive PR but limited direct impact on U.S. retail fundamentals. Walmart Canada fundraising campaign
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative retail coverage looking at Walmart vs. Target and Costco is informational for market share and sentiment but doesn't immediately change fundamentals. Big-box chain comparison
• Neutral Sentiment: Hedge fund RWWM trimmed a small Walmart stake (2,388 shares); this is a minor institutional move and unlikely to drive major stock direction alone. RWWM trims WMT stake
• Negative Sentiment: Workers and safety headlines: Walmart partially reversed recent cart-handling rules for employees filling online orders after safety concerns, a labor/safety issue that can invite scrutiny and operational friction. Walmart changes cart rules after safety concerns
• Negative Sentiment: A recent Seeking Alpha piece argues Walmart’s current valuation is hard to justify, highlighting the high P/E and moderating growth — commentary that can pressure sentiment among value/quant funds. Seeking Alpha valuation critique

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total transaction of $1,214,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 108,294 shares of the company's stock, valued at $13,153,389.24. The trade was a 8.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total transaction of $4,158,004.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 533,466 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $65,082,852. This trade represents a 6.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 167,195 shares of company stock valued at $20,975,804. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

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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