Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Acquires 49,758 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Zurcher Kantonalbank increased its Walmart stake by 49,758 shares in Q4 to 3,334,446 shares (worth about $371.5M), making WMT its 16th‑largest holding and 0.8% of the bank’s portfolio.
• Q4 results beat modestly: Walmart reported $0.74 EPS vs. $0.73 expected and $190.66B revenue (up 5.6% YoY), and set FY2027 guidance of $2.75–$2.85 EPS (analysts average ~2.89).
• Management is accelerating store modernization and omnichannel investments, revamping the Great Value private‑label brand, and testing store back rooms as fulfillment hubs to boost margins, speed delivery and defend market share.

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 1.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,334,446 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 49,758 shares during the period. Walmart makes up 0.8% of Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank's portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank's holdings in Walmart were worth $371,491,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Leisure Capital Management boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 25.1% in the 4th quarter. Leisure Capital Management now owns 2,986 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $333,000 after purchasing an additional 599 shares in the last quarter. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 11.7% in the 4th quarter. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,087 shares of the retailer's stock worth $567,000 after purchasing an additional 532 shares during the last quarter. Aspiring Ventures LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $216,000. Krilogy Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC now owns 126,088 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $14,833,000 after purchasing an additional 2,154 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Earned Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 22.4% during the 4th quarter. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 20,436 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,277,000 after purchasing an additional 3,738 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of WMT opened at $127.92 on Tuesday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $125.62 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $116.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.02 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.69, a PEG ratio of 4.75 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $91.34 and a 52 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 released its 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. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The company had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.66 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a dividend of $0.2475 per share. The ex-dividend date 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 is presently 36.13%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.17, for a total transaction of $2,313,804.72. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 4,274,856 shares in the company, valued at $509,434,589.52. The trade was a 0.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the business'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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 533,466 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $65,082,852. This trade represents a 6.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 263,376 shares of company stock worth $32,598,466. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is overhauling its Great Value private‑label brand across nearly 10,000 food and consumable items to appeal to value‑seeking shoppers, which should help boost gross margins and customer loyalty as consumers trade down. Walmart Revamps ‘Great Value’ Brand as Shoppers Shift to Lower-Priced Options
• Positive Sentiment: Management is accelerating store modernization and omnichannel investments (650+ remodels, ~20 new stores), adding pickup/delivery and digital tools to convert physical stores into fulfillment nodes — a direct lever to grow faster, lower delivery costs, and defend market share. Walmart Expands and Modernizes Stores to Support Omnichannel Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is testing using store back rooms as staging warehouses for same‑day and third‑party marketplace deliveries — a low‑capex way to accelerate delivery speed versus Amazon and monetize store footprint. Walmart Eyes Stores as Warehouse Space for Same-Day Delivery
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlights Walmart’s push to commercialize logistics, expand private‑label and partner assortments (e.g., Pet Honesty, Lucky Energy), reinforcing the company’s multi‑pronged strategy to win share on both price and convenience. Walmart’s Private-Label and Store Modernization Push Might Change The Case For Investing In Walmart (WMT)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/media pieces place Walmart among durable, defensive large‑cap ideas and “best Dow stocks,” reflecting its dividend history and stability — supportive for longer‑term investor sentiment but less tied to near‑term stock moves. Walmart Revamps ‘Great Value’ Brand as Shoppers Shift to Lower-Priced Options
• Negative Sentiment: An insider (EVP) sold about $362k of WMT stock, a small signal but one investors monitor for timing/conviction. Insider Selling: Walmart NASDAQ: WMT EVP Sells $361,688.00 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: A California judge alleged Amazon coerced vendors to pressure rivals (naming Walmart) in a price‑fixing claim; while the case targets Amazon, any mention of Walmart in high‑profile litigation can create short‑term reputational noise and regulatory scrutiny. California says Amazon coerced companies like Walmart and Levi into illegally raising prices

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on WMT. CICC Research started coverage on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, December 26th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. Mizuho boosted 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. Roth Mkm restated a "buy" rating and set a $138.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. KeyCorp reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $145.00 price target (up from $128.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted 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. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $137.64.

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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