Legal & General Group Plc Grows Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Legal & General Group Plc boosted its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,268,463 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 934,468 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for approximately 0.6% of Legal & General Group Plc’s portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Legal & General Group Plc’s holdings in Walmart were worth $2,810,288,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Pinkerton Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. Pinkerton Wealth LLC now owns 61,591 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $6,348,000 after acquiring an additional 2,482 shares during the period. Fieldview Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,127,000. WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $17,396,000. Pinpoint Asset Management Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new position in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $915,000. Finally, LGT Fund Management Co Ltd. increased its stake in Walmart by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. LGT Fund Management Co Ltd. now owns 33,703 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,436,000 after purchasing an additional 839 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.10, for a total transaction of $1,694,437.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 591,084 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $76,308,944.40. This represents a 2.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. This trade represents a 3.95% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 279,703 shares of company stock worth $34,140,843 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 target price on Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 price target (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 price target (up from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $150.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 price objective (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.76.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is trading near 52‑week highs and is being highlighted as a long‑term favorite as new growth avenues (e‑commerce, advertising) support upside and buyer momentum. 2 Long Term Favorite Stocks Trading Near 52-Week Highs
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s long record of dividend increases and defensive retail positioning is cited favorably by income‑oriented investors, reinforcing buy‑and‑hold appeal. 2 Best Dividend Stocks to Buy Now and Hold Forever
• Positive Sentiment: Management continuity under new CEO John Furner—an internal, experienced operator—reduces execution risk and reassures investors about strategy continuity. Here’s Everything Investors Need to Know About Walmart’s New CEO, John Furner
• Positive Sentiment: Macro consumption trends (a shift toward more price‑conscious shoppers) and retail ETFs that overweight discount/warehouse players give Walmart exposure to potential inflows as consumers tighten budgets. (MarketBeat coverage of ETF themes; Walmart is a meaningful holding in retail ETFs.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative to Costco, Walmart’s fast‑growing ad and e‑commerce businesses are positives, but Costco’s superior comps and membership economics justify a premium—this frames valuation comparisons for investors considering sector allocation. Walmart vs. Costco: Which Stock Is the Better Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Significant Walton Family trust share sales (recent ~$220M block) have reduced insider ownership and raise near‑term supply/valuation questions — a bearish catalyst when combined with prior 2025 sell‑downs. Walton Family Trust Sells Walmart Inc. (WMT) Shares Valued at $220 Million
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart agreed to a roughly $100M settlement tied to its Spark Driver delivery program and will face new compliance measures—this raises one‑time costs and operational oversight concerns. Walmart Insider Sales And Spark Driver Settlement Frame Valuation Questions
• Negative Sentiment: Escalating geopolitical tensions have pushed crude and gasoline prices sharply higher; rising fuel costs can dent discretionary spend and curb store traffic, which is a downside risk for Walmart’s US volumes and margins. Walmart and three retailers most at risk from rising gasoline prices

Walmart Stock Performance

Walmart stock opened at $124.32 on Tuesday. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $79.81 and a fifty-two week high of $134.69. The company has a market capitalization of $990.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.37, a PEG ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.66. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $122.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $111.25. 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) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The business’s revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior 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. On average, analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced 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 yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is 34.31%.

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.