Walmart Inc. $WMT Holdings Raised by KBC Group NV

Key Points

• KBC Group NV raised its stake in Walmart by 2.8% in Q4, buying 25,859 shares to hold 946,731 shares valued at about $105.48 million, while other large institutions (Vanguard, State Street) also modestly increased positions and institutional ownership stands at ~26.76%.
• Insiders have been net sellers recently: CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares and EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000, with insiders selling 246,016 shares worth $30.43 million in the last three months and now owning just 0.10% of the stock.
• Corporate strategy and outlook: Walmart is investing in growth initiatives (remodeling ~650 stores, expanding weight‑management healthcare services, and launching Upstream B2B facility services), analysts maintain a consensus "Buy" with an average target of $137.64, and the company guided FY2027 EPS to $2.75–$2.85 after a recent quarter that beat expectations.

KBC Group NV lifted its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 2.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 946,731 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 25,859 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV's holdings in Walmart were worth $105,484,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 435,652,710 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $44,898,368,000 after purchasing an additional 3,835,200 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.2% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $19,046,104,000 after purchasing an additional 2,242,364 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.6% during the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,298,623 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $4,153,176,000 after purchasing an additional 634,211 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc grew its holdings in Walmart by 3.5% during the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 27,268,463 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,810,288,000 after acquiring an additional 934,468 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. grew its holdings in Walmart by 0.4% during the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 24,990,692 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,575,541,000 after acquiring an additional 93,459 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Big store reinvestment and expansion — Walmart is investing in remodels at roughly 650 stores, with ~20 net new openings planned for this year/early 2027, and state-level remodel programs (NC, VA, AL, TX) to modernize layouts and speed up fulfillment/one-hour delivery. These moves support sales growth, faster e‑commerce fulfillment and capex that targets higher customer frequency. Walmart Upgrades 650 Stores Amid Interest From High-Stress Shoppers
• Positive Sentiment: Healthcare & weight-management push — Walmart expanded its Better Care Services to include weight-management support for customers using or exploring GLP-1 drugs, integrating virtual care, nutrition and pharmacy. This captures a high-growth healthcare adjacency, increases pharmacy traffic and creates recurring service revenue. Walmart Expands Access to Weight Management Support Services for Customers on or exploring GLP-1s
• Positive Sentiment: New services business (Upstream) expands margins runway — Walmart launched Upstream Facility Services, selling nationwide HVAC and maintenance solutions leveraging its store network. This is a higher‑margin B2B opportunity that monetizes existing logistics/field capabilities. Walmart's Upstream Launch Expands Its Long-Term Growth Runway
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — Guggenheim raised its price target and reiterated a Buy, citing scale and operational advantages. Positive analyst action can support sentiment and buying interest. Walmart NASDAQ: WMT Stock Price Expected to Rise, Guggenheim Analyst Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Great Value private-label redesign — Walmart is refreshing packaging and branding for its large Great Value line, a move to protect share in price-sensitive categories; brand refreshes typically support shelf appeal but take time to translate into sales lift. Walmart redesigns its 'Great Value' private label brand
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail partnerships and merchandising initiatives — Walmart launched a themed fashion collection tie-in (The Devil Wears Prada) and other merchandising updates that may modestly drive traffic/PR but are not material earnings drivers. Fashion moves: Walmart launches a collection tied to The Devil Wears Prada
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider/institutional activity — A small manager (BCS Wealth) disclosed a larger stake in WMT; incremental institutional buying is supportive but not yet a major flow signal. BCS Wealth Management Has $1.61 Million Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT
• Negative Sentiment: Sam's Club membership fee increase risk — Sam's Club plans higher membership fees (following Costco's prior move). While this can boost near-term revenue, it risks member churn or giving competitors an edge if shoppers resist the hike. Will Increased Membership Fees at Walmart's Sam's Club Actually Boost Costco's Stock Instead?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently issued reports on WMT. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 target price on Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $130.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 target price on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. HSBC lowered Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $122.00 to $131.00 in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their target price on Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $137.64.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 687,287 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $83,821,522.52. This trade represents a 1.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total value of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at $62,203,571.56. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 246,016 shares of company stock worth $30,431,872 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Walmart Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of WMT opened at $124.82 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $125.71 and its 200 day moving average price is $115.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $995.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.55, a P/E/G ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $91.34 and a 1-year 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.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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. The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.Walmart's revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $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. Analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

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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