Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Acquired by Meridian Wealth Management LLC

Key Points

• Meridian Wealth Management increased its Walmart stake by 7.3% in the fourth quarter, buying 11,190 additional shares and lifting its position to 165,062 shares worth about $18.4 million.
• Several other institutional investors also added to Walmart positions, while insiders sold shares; over the last 90 days, insiders sold 167,195 shares valued at about $21.0 million.
• Wall Street remains bullish on Walmart, with multiple analysts raising price targets and the stock carrying a consensus Buy rating and average target of $138.33, despite the shares dipping 2.2% to $127.59.

Meridian Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 7.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 165,062 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 11,190 shares during the quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $18,390,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC now owns 176,486 shares of the retailer's stock worth $19,662,000 after acquiring an additional 1,991 shares in the last quarter. Washington Trust Bank raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Washington Trust Bank now owns 10,660 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,188,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 63,384 shares of the retailer's stock worth $7,062,000 after purchasing an additional 3,453 shares during the last quarter. Bailard Inc. raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 30,260 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,371,000 after purchasing an additional 815 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ABC Arbitrage SA purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $636,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.71, for a total transaction of $2,460,201.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,023,209 shares in the company, valued at approximately $509,780,812.39. This trade represents a 0.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total value of $1,214,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 108,294 shares of the company's stock, valued at $13,153,389.24. This trade represents a 8.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 167,195 shares of company stock valued at $20,975,804 in the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley revisited Walmart’s stock ahead of earnings, a sign that major analysts are still actively monitoring the name and may update their outlook based on the upcoming report. Morgan Stanley revisits Walmart stock price target pre-earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s recent long-term stock performance remains strong, with shares up sharply over the past year, which can support investor confidence despite short-term volatility. Is It Too Late To Consider Walmart (WMT) After Its Strong 1 Year Share Price Run?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s stock was identified as falling while the broader market gained, reflecting sector rotation and profit-taking rather than a company-specific shock. Walmart (WMT) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here's Why
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed no meaningful borrowing activity, so this does not currently point to a major bearish trading setup in the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted pressure on Walmart’s margins as grocery and health categories grow, suggesting profitability may remain under scrutiny even as sales trends hold up. Walmart's Category Mix Pressures Margins: More Pain Ahead?
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart is preparing for California’s new $18 minimum wage rules, which could add labor cost pressure in a key market and weigh on margins. Walmart braces for new $18 California law — it's slightly different for every city
• Negative Sentiment: Target’s new push to win back families, starting in the baby aisle, adds competitive pressure in a category where Walmart competes for budget-conscious shoppers. Target is trying to win back busy families from Walmart, starting with the baby aisle

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on WMT. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Walmart from $127.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Mizuho raised their price objective on Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Roth Mkm restated a "buy" rating and issued a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price objective on Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $134.00 price objective (up from $129.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $138.33.

Walmart Stock Down 2.2%

Shares of WMT stock opened at $127.59 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $126.07 and a 200 day moving average of $118.54. 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 $1.02 trillion, a P/E ratio of 46.57, a P/E/G ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $91.89 and a twelve month high of $134.69.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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 return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.Walmart's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last 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. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

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 given a dividend of $0.2475 per share. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.13%.

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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