Invesco Ltd. Sells 332,316 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Invesco Ltd. trimmed its Walmart stake by 1.2%, selling 332,316 shares and now holds 27,183,054 shares — a position worth roughly $2.8 billion and Walmart is its 23rd largest holding.
• Analysts remain constructive: the consensus rating is Moderate Buy with a $135.76 average target, and several firms have raised price targets as high as $150.
• Walmart posted a slight EPS beat and strong digital momentum (eCommerce up ~24% in fiscal Q4) and set FY2027 EPS guidance of 2.75–2.85, but the stock trades at a premium (~P/E 45.7) and insiders have sold roughly 279,703 shares in the past three months.

Invesco Ltd. lessened its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 27,183,054 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 332,316 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up about 0.4% of Invesco Ltd.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest position. Invesco Ltd. owned about 0.34% of Walmart worth $2,801,486,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of WMT. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Walmart by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 435,652,710 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $44,898,368,000 after acquiring an additional 3,835,200 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,367,770,000. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,298,623 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $4,153,176,000 after purchasing an additional 634,211 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its position in shares of Walmart by 3.6% during the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 31,973,329 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,126,775,000 after purchasing an additional 1,098,342 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc grew its position 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 valued at $2,810,288,000 after purchasing an additional 934,468 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $125.00 target price (up from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating and set a $134.00 price target (up from $129.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $140.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Bank of America initiated coverage on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 27th. They set a "buy" rating and a $150.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group increased their target price on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. One equities research 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $135.76.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart reported strong digital momentum: eCommerce sales rose ~24% in the fiscal Q4, reinforcing its omnichannel strategy and recurring revenue diversification that supports higher-margin pickup and delivery services. This underpins confidence in sales resilience and future growth. Walmart eCommerce Up 24%
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness: Tigress Financial reiterated a Buy and raised its price target to $150, citing Walmart’s transition to a tech-driven, omnichannel retailer — a vote of confidence that can support further upside and attract investor interest. Tigress Financial Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Flipkart IPO potential: Reports that Walmart-backed Flipkart is preparing for an IPO as soon as this year raise the prospect of a significant liquidity/monetization event for Walmart’s international eCommerce stake, which could unlock shareholder value if executed. Flipkart IPO Report
• Positive Sentiment: Defensive retail demand theme: Market commentary on ETFs that gain from consumers tightening budgets highlights Walmart as a beneficiary of value-oriented spending, which supports steady traffic and margins in down-cycle consumer environments. ETFs That Could Benefit
• Neutral Sentiment: Long-term comparison with Amazon: Several pieces debate WMT vs AMZN for a 10‑year hold — useful for strategic allocation decisions but not an immediate catalyst. These compare capital intensity, margins, growth runway and ecosystem differences. AMZN vs. WMT Comparison
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate housekeeping / optics: Commentary on Walmart’s prior stock split and long-term total-return track record reinforces retail accessibility and shareholder-friendly history but is not a near-term earnings catalyst. MarketBeat Stock Split Note
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and sentiment concerns: Retail investor chatter (Reddit) and analysis have flagged a high forward multiple (~46x in commentary) and a recent month‑long pullback, prompting bearish social sentiment and questions about near-term upside versus current price. Elevated multiple and heightened retail skepticism can pressure short-term performance if earnings guidance disappoints. Reddit Valuation Critique
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation re-checks after momentum: Coverage noting recent share-price gains has prompted fresh valuation analysis — some investors are pausing for confirmation that top-line digital gains and margin expansion justify premium multiples. That caution can cap upside until clarity on sustainable EPS progression. Valuation Look

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.71, for a total value of $2,460,201.36. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,023,209 shares in the company, valued at approximately $509,780,812.39. This trade represents a 0.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total value of $1,214,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 108,294 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,153,389.24. The trade was a 8.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 279,703 shares of company stock worth $34,140,843. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Walmart Trading Up 1.4%

NASDAQ WMT opened at $125.27 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $79.81 and a one year high of $134.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.79. The company has a market capitalization of $998.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.60 and a beta of 0.66. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $122.89 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $111.62.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.66 EPS. The company'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. Equities analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

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 issued 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 currently 34.31%.

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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