Handelsbanken Fonder AB Decreases Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Handelsbanken Fonder AB decreased its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 0.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,736,135 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 4,190 shares during the quarter. Walmart comprises approximately 0.6% of Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Walmart were worth $178,926,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,709,000. CWM LLC raised its position in Walmart by 24.2% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,175,703 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $121,168,000 after acquiring an additional 229,220 shares during the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC raised its position in Walmart by 0.8% during the second quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 5,091,126 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $497,771,000 after acquiring an additional 42,645 shares during the last quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. grew its position in shares of Walmart by 16.6% in 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. Finally, Aviva PLC grew its position in shares of Walmart by 16.4% in the second quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 3,833,720 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $374,861,000 after purchasing an additional 539,504 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently issued reports on WMT. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 target price on Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 price target on Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $135.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Tigress Financial set a $150.00 price objective on Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, HSBC lowered shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and upped their target price for the company from $122.00 to $131.00 in a report on Friday, February 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $133.67.

Walmart Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $124.42 on Friday. 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 firm has a market cap of $991.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.41, a PEG ratio of 5.07 and a beta of 0.65. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $120.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $109.91. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $79.81 and a 12-month high of $134.69.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced 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. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.66 EPS. The company’s 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, research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.31%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total transaction of $2,445,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 506,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $61,962,034.28. The trade was a 3.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was 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 $87,251,328.45. This trade represents a 1.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 242,487 shares of company stock worth $29,369,548 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart authorized a new $30 billion share‑repurchase program, recently completed a roughly $16.14 billion buyback and approved a $0.99 per‑share annual dividend — actions that return capital to shareholders and support the stock. How Investors May Respond To Walmart E‑commerce Strength And New US$30 Billion Buyback Plan
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have been raising targets and ratings after Walmart’s quarter and strategy — TD Cowen lifted its target and Bernstein has become more constructive, which can support further inflows. TD Cowen Raises Walmart Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding tech-driven store capabilities (Scintilla In‑Store) and rolling select private/partner brands nationwide — moves that bolster e‑commerce/omnichannel margins and advertising/marketplace growth. Walmart Supplier Tech And New Brands Reframe Stores As Data Platforms
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart management will participate in upcoming investor events with live webcasts — increases transparency and gives analysts a forum to ask questions, but is informational rather than catalytic. Walmart Leadership to Participate in Upcoming Investor Events
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart agreed to settle with the FTC over deceptive pay/tip representations in its Spark driver program — the headline figure reported is $100 million, and the company will also pay roughly $16 million directly to drivers as part of relief. This is a reputational/legal hit and a near‑term cash charge (though small versus Walmart’s scale). Walmart Agrees to $100 Million FTC Settlement Over Driver Pay Walmart agrees to pay $16 million to Spark drivers
• Negative Sentiment: An insider sale (John Furner sold 13,125 shares) and some post‑earnings pressure were reported — insider selling and short‑term volatility can add downward pressure on sentiment even if not indicative of long‑term fundamentals. John Furner Sells Shares

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.