KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Has $193.70 Million Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS increased its stake in Walmart by 0.6% to 1,735,500 shares worth $193.70 million, making Walmart the firm's 17th largest holding.
• Walmart beat Q4 expectations with $0.74 EPS and $190.66 billion in revenue (up 5.6% YoY) and set FY2027 guidance of 2.75–2.85 EPS.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive—consensus rating is Buy with an average price target of $137.79 and several firms raising targets, as Walmart pursues higher‑margin services and faster Sam’s Club delivery options.

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS grew its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 0.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,735,500 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 9,600 shares during the period. Walmart comprises 0.7% of KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS's portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS's holdings in Walmart were worth $193,698,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Collier Financial acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 193.0% in the 4th quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on WMT shares. Argus upgraded Walmart to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $130.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 target price on Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, January 18th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price objective on Walmart from $127.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $137.79.

Walmart Trading Up 1.6%

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $132.03 on Friday. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $125.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $116.64. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $91.89 and a 52 week high of $134.69. The company has a market capitalization of $1.05 trillion, a P/E ratio of 48.19, a P/E/G ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.79.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.66 earnings per share. The firm'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. On average, research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is currently 36.13%.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart filed its 2026 Annual Report and proxy; CEO John Furner’s first shareholder letter emphasizes confidence in the business model and investments in associates and AI-powered solutions — signals management is prioritizing productivity and tech-driven growth. Walmart Releases 2026 Annual Report and Proxy Statement
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $140 and kept an “overweight” rating, offering fresh analyst validation and upside versus current levels — a direct catalyst for buy-side flows. Morgan Stanley raises price target
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart launched “Upstream Facility Services,” expanding into maintenance services for businesses — a diversification move that creates higher-margin, recurring B2B revenue beyond core retail. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Diversifies Beyond Retail Into Maintenance Services
• Positive Sentiment: Sam’s Club introduced a one-hour express delivery option for members, tightening competition with Costco and improving value for members — an operational win that can drive higher same-club sales and membership retention. Walmart's warehouse club ups the pressure on Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Consensus analyst rating sits at “Buy,” reflecting broad sell‑side confidence which supports demand for the shares. Walmart Given Consensus Rating of "Buy"
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces highlight Walmart’s strategic push into the “decision layer” (competing with Amazon on AI-driven choice architecture) — underscores longer-term tech competition but is not an immediate earnings swing. Amazon and Walmart Race to Capture Retail's Decision Layer First
• Neutral Sentiment: Partnerships like the Back to the Roots retail program are PR/CSR positives that help merchandising and sustainability narratives but have limited near-term revenue impact. Back to the Roots Scales Regenerative Movement Nationwide
• Negative Sentiment: Industry commentary noting Visa’s faster market‑cap growth versus Walmart highlights relative-growth concerns and investor preference for payments/tech growth stories over traditional retail — a competitive narrative that can cap valuation multiples. One Year Later: We Predicted Visa Would Overtake Walmart

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total transaction of $2,445,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 506,764 shares of the company's stock, valued at $61,962,034.28. This represents a 3.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total value of $1,600,725.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 687,287 shares of the company's stock, valued at $83,821,522.52. The trade was a 1.87% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 243,960 shares of company stock valued at $30,284,661 in the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Walmart

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.