M&T Bank Corp Acquires 57,844 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• M&T Bank Corp increased its stake in Walmart by 9.7% in Q4, buying 57,844 shares and bringing its total holding to 655,926 shares worth about $74.8 million.
• Sell‑side sentiment is broadly positive with a consensus "Buy" rating and a consensus price target of roughly $137.79, following several upgrades and raised targets from firms including Erste, Mizuho, Roth MKM and Barclays.
• Walmart slightly beat Q4 estimates ($0.74 EPS vs. $0.73 consensus) with revenue up 5.6% year‑over‑year, provided FY2027 EPS guidance of 2.75–2.85, and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.2475 (approx. 0.7% yield).

M&T Bank Corp boosted its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 9.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 655,926 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 57,844 shares during the quarter. M&T Bank Corp's holdings in Walmart were worth $74,821,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new position in Walmart during the third quarter valued at $28,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the third quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 193.0% in the fourth quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 193 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Erste Group Bank raised Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, December 26th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Barclays reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $125.00 target price (up from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $137.79.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $132.03 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $91.89 and a 12 month high of $134.69. 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 stock has a market cap 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 50 day moving average of $125.67 and a 200 day moving average of $116.64.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.66 EPS. 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, sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total value of $1,600,725.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 687,287 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $83,821,522.52. This represents a 1.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Donna Morris sold 76,181 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was 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 owned 402,072 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,772,492.88. This trade represents a 15.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 243,960 shares of company stock valued at $30,284,661. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Walmart News Summary

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

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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