Willis Johnson & Associates Inc. Sells 24,613 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Willis Johnson & Associates Inc. lessened its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 57.7% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 18,013 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 24,613 shares during the quarter. Willis Johnson & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $1,856,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in Walmart by 28.8% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,868,000 after buying an additional 21,939 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $800,000 after acquiring an additional 485 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Management raised its holdings in Walmart by 3.5% during the first quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,416,000 after acquiring an additional 1,715 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 0.9% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 13,008 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,272,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 4.2% during the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 755,828 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $73,905,000 after purchasing an additional 30,320 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $128.77 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $117.36 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $107.82. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $79.81 and a 1 year high of $131.79. The company has a market capitalization of $1.03 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.02, a P/E/G ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $179.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $175.15 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.26% and a return on equity of 21.31%. The company’s revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.58 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raising targets and upgrades — Oppenheimer and other firms have lifted price targets and reiterated Outperform/Buy ratings ahead of Walmart’s Q4 print, supporting momentum and investor confidence. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying — Fisher Asset Management increased its stake, signaling conviction from a large money manager that can boost demand for the stock. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings cadence and expectations — Walmart scheduled its Q4 earnings call for Feb. 19; markets are watching for a possible beat and forward commentary after the company recently topped EPS and set FY2026 guidance. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Operational initiatives and store rollout — Next‑gen Jacksonville Supercenter and omnichannel tests reinforce Walmart’s long‑term growth/efficiency thesis that analysts cite when valuing the company at premium multiples. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/retail data mixed — December retail sales came in flat, a potential headwind for discretionary categories, but Walmart is often viewed as a beneficiary of “trade‑down” behavior when consumers seek value. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive landscape — Kroger’s leadership change (Greg Foran) sharpens competition in grocery; it’s a strategic risk over time but not an immediate earnings shock. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Major lawsuit from Estée Lauder alleging counterfeit products sold via Walmart’s marketplace — this brings legal, reputational and regulatory risk and could trigger increased compliance costs or marketplace restrictions if proven. Investors are watching how Walmart responds and whether third‑party seller controls will be tightened. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Marketplace scrutiny and investor nervousness — coverage notes the suit also tests marketplace controls and investor sentiment; increased regulatory scrutiny or larger-than-expected damages would be a material negative. Read More.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 22nd. The stock was 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 directly owned 4,274,856 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $509,434,589.52. This trade represents a 0.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.99, for a total value of $1,574,868.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 727,155 shares in the company, valued at approximately $87,251,328.45. This represents a 1.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 229,196 shares of company stock valued at $26,957,858. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on WMT. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $121.00 price target on Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $140.00 target price (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, January 18th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Thirty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $127.19.

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.