Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Grows Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Pictet Asset Management increased its stake in Walmart by 1.5% in Q4, adding 33,195 shares to hold 2,231,727 shares worth about $248.65 million.
• Company insiders have been net sellers: executives disposed of notable blocks (including 20,000 and 34,082 shares) and insiders sold 263,376 shares valued at $32.85 million in the last 90 days, with insiders owning just 0.10% of the stock.
• Walmart beat Q4 estimates (EPS $0.74 vs. $0.73; revenue $190.66B vs. $188.37B), set FY2027 EPS guidance of $2.75–$2.85, and carries an average analyst price target of $137.79 amid a $1.02 trillion market cap and a premium P/E of 46.57.

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 1.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,231,727 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 33,195 shares during the quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA's holdings in Walmart were worth $248,647,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in Walmart during the third quarter valued at about $1,709,000. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. lifted its holdings in Walmart by 16.6% during the third quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 63,782 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $6,567,000 after purchasing an additional 9,061 shares during the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its holdings in Walmart by 2.9% during the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,010,886 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $104,182,000 after purchasing an additional 28,026 shares during the last quarter. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners lifted its holdings in Walmart by 466.6% during the third quarter. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners now owns 13,343 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,375,000 after purchasing an additional 10,988 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tradewinds LLC. purchased a new stake in Walmart during the third quarter valued at about $11,077,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total value of $2,445,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 506,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $61,962,034.28. This represents a 3.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total transaction of $4,158,004.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 533,466 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,082,852. This trade represents a 6.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 263,376 shares of company stock valued at $32,851,650 in the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Walmart Stock Down 1.8%

WMT stock opened at $127.59 on Tuesday. 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 company's 50 day moving average is $125.46 and its 200 day moving average is $117.21. The stock has a market cap of $1.02 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $91.89 and a 1-year high of $134.69.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion for 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 revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $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. Sell-side analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

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

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts note Walmart’s earnings mix is shifting toward higher‑margin streams—advertising, memberships and e‑commerce—which helped Q4 profits outpace sales and could support margin resiliency going forward. Walmart Builds Diversified Profit Streams
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart Connect expanded CTV advertising tools (Connect Select marketplace + more partner integrations), a product push that can accelerate ad revenue growth by making streaming buys easier for mid‑sized advertisers. This reinforces the company’s strategy to diversify revenue beyond retail sales. Walmart Simplifies Streaming Ads for Mid-Sized Business
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart launched an exclusive U.S. partnership to roll out ARIH, a BTS‑linked food & beverage brand, across stores and online—a targeted merchandising play to attract younger, culturally engaged shoppers and drive store and e‑commerce traffic. Walmart Bets On BTS ARIH Brand To Refresh Omni Channel Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Retail investor commentary places WMT among “best quality” dividend stocks on Reddit compilations—highlighting Walmart’s scale, dividend yield and steady cash flow as supportive of long‑term investor interest. (Coverage appeared across retail finance sites.) Is Walmart (WMT) One of the Best Quality Dividend Stocks to Buy According to Reddit?
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the operational positives, WMT shares sold off today while the broader market advanced; media coverage highlighted the drop, which may reflect short‑term profit‑taking, valuation concerns (WMT’s premium P/E) or rotation away from defensive/retail names. Walmart (WMT) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains: Important Facts to Note

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on WMT shares. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 price target on Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price target on Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price target on Walmart in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $147.00 price target (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $137.79.

Walmart 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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