JM2 Capital Inc. Acquires New Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• JM2 Capital acquired a new position of 14,453 shares of Walmart worth about $1.61 million, representing roughly 1.3% of JM2's portfolio and making WMT its 19th largest holding.
• Company insiders, including EVPs Donna Morris and John D. Rainey, sold large blocks of stock this quarter—total insider sales were 260,529 shares worth $32.17 million, leaving corporate insiders with about 0.10% ownership.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive: Walmart slightly beat Q4 EPS and revenue expectations (revenue up 5.6% YoY), carries an average sell‑side rating of "Buy" with an average price target of $137.64 and several recent price‑target upgrades.

JM2 Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 14,453 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,610,000. Walmart makes up about 1.3% of JM2 Capital Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Capstone Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Walmart by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,955 shares of the retailer's stock worth $552,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Matrix Trust Co grew its position in Walmart by 20.0% in the fourth quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 547 shares of the retailer's stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. HRC Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Walmart by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. HRC Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,209 shares of the retailer's stock worth $246,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in Walmart by 1.0% in the third quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 9,926 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,023,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC grew its position in Walmart by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC now owns 11,449 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,274,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the subject of several recent research reports. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $134.00 target price (up from $129.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $135.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Evercore restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $130.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $137.64.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Donna Morris sold 76,181 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.79, for a total transaction of $9,430,445.99. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 402,072 shares in the company, valued at $49,772,492.88. This represents a 15.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total transaction of $2,445,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 506,764 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $61,962,034.28. The trade was a 3.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 260,529 shares of company stock worth $32,173,300. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim raised its price target to $137 and placed WMT at a "Buy," giving the stock upward analyst momentum and signaling expectations for stronger upside. Walmart price target raised by Guggenheim
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart launched Upstream Facility Services to sell its maintenance and operations expertise to other businesses — a new revenue stream that leverages scale and could improve margins over time. Walmart introduces Upstream Facility Services
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart continues to push AI in retail: the Sparky assistant is driving ~35% higher spend per order and adoption by ~50% of app shoppers, a direct tailwind to digital sales and basket size. Walmart's AI push gains steam
• Positive Sentiment: Pet Honesty expanded nationwide into nearly 13,000 Walmart stores, boosting assortment and in‑store traffic potential for consumables and private‑label adjacencies. Pet Honesty® Expands to Walmart Stores Nationwide
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart joined the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, strengthening sustainable sourcing credentials and reducing supply‑chain and reputational risk for apparel/textiles. Walmart Joins U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group upgraded WMT to Buy (cited by coverage articles), reflecting bullish analyst sentiment following solid Q4 results and guidance — supports longer‑term thesis but not immediate catalyst. Walmart Inc. (WMT) a Top Consumer Defensive Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector/industry notes highlight Walmart as a leader in omnichannel/digital transformation — supportive context but already priced into large‑cap defensive expectations. Zacks Industry Outlook Highlights Walmart
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor‑oriented media reiterate Walmart as a defensive name amid market volatility, which can attract capital during risk‑off periods but may limit upside in strong rallies. Market on Sale: 2 Stocks Worth Buying With $1,000
• Negative Sentiment: Recent daily headlines noted a short‑term pullback in WMT shares (prior session decline ~1.7%), a reminder of near‑term volatility despite solid fundamentals. Walmart (WMT) Stock Declines While Market Improves
• Negative Sentiment: Dividend growth at Walmart trails Costco, which could be a negative when competing for income‑focused investors despite Walmart's other strengths. Walmart vs. Costco: One Dividend Is Growing Twice as Fast as the Other

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $125.05 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $125.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $115.57. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $90.61 and a 1-year high of $134.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $996.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.64, a PEG ratio of 4.64 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.66 earnings per share. Walmart's revenue for the quarter 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. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

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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