Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Trims Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. trimmed its Walmart stake by 6.1% in Q4, selling 29,654 shares and leaving it with 452,572 shares worth $50.42 million, making WMT its 18th largest holding (0.7% of the portfolio).
• Significant insider selling: EVP Donna Morris sold 76,181 shares and EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares in February, and insiders have sold 263,376 shares valued at $32.85 million over the past 90 days.
• Walmart slightly beat earnings estimates and issued FY27 guidance: the company reported $0.74 EPS vs. $0.73 expected and $190.66 billion in revenue vs. $188.37 billion, with FY2027 EPS guidance of $2.75–$2.85 and a MarketBeat consensus "Buy" (average target $137.79).

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 6.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 452,572 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 29,654 shares during the period. Walmart comprises 0.7% of Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $50,421,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Walmart by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 188,985 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $21,055,000 after buying an additional 6,531 shares during the last quarter. Secured Retirement Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Walmart by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. Secured Retirement Advisors LLC now owns 17,705 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,973,000 after buying an additional 715 shares during the last quarter. Sigma Planning Corp increased its holdings in Walmart by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 112,116 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $12,543,000 after buying an additional 2,859 shares during the last quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI increased its holdings in Walmart by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 212,287 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $23,679,000 after buying an additional 1,882 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mogy Joel R Investment Counsel Inc. increased its holdings in Walmart by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Mogy Joel R Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 63,160 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $7,037,000 after buying an additional 518 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Donna Morris sold 76,181 shares of the 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 owned 402,072 shares in the company, valued at $49,772,492.88. This trade represents a 15.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total transaction of $4,158,004.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 533,466 shares of the company's stock, valued at $65,082,852. This trade represents a 6.01% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 263,376 shares of company stock valued at $32,851,650 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

WMT opened at $131.60 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.05 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.03, a PEG ratio of 4.91 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a fifty day moving average of $125.60 and a 200 day moving average of $117.56. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $91.89 and a fifty-two week 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.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. Walmart's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.66 earnings per share. 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 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. 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 of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.13%.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart announced a third U.S. milk-processing facility, a $350 million investment to boost domestic dairy supply and vertical integration, which should cut supply-chain risk and support grocery margins. Walmart opens third U.S. milk processing facility with $350 million investment
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart earmarked millions for multiple Arizona store upgrades — investments that can boost traffic, comps and localized competitiveness. Walmart earmarks millions for multiple Arizona store upgrades
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional investor Alecta increased its Walmart stake by ~406,400 shares, a sign of confidence from a large pension investor. Alecta Pensionsforsakring Boosts Walmart Stake by 406,400 Shares
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding local-product assortments (e.g., region-specific coffee/beans) to better serve price‑sensitive consumers and differentiate merchandising — a low-cost way to improve basket relevance. Walmart Eyes Local Products as National Consumer Mood Sours
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and analyst pieces debate Walmart vs. Costco and reiterate bullish theses on WMT’s e‑commerce gains and higher‑income customer mix — these keep sentiment constructive but don’t change fundamentals immediately. Better Buy: Walmart or Costco Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Several bullish write-ups (Yahoo/InsiderMonkey summarizing a Substack thesis) highlight valuation and growth arguments; useful for sentiment but not new company action. Is Walmart Inc. (WMT) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s Acres for America grants program awarded $5.4M in conservation grants — positive for ESG profile but limited direct financial impact. NFWF Announces $5.4 Million in Grants from Walmart's Acres for America Program
• Neutral Sentiment: Internal leadership redesign (changes to store-lead roles and retention moves for high-paid managers) suggests workforce optimization; could reduce costs or create short-term disruption depending on execution. Walmart redesigns its leadership pipeline as managers making $400K stay for longer

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on WMT. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $140.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Roth Mkm reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $140.00 price objective (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Erste Group Bank raised shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued 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 an average target price of $137.79.

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.

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