Verdence Capital Advisors LLC Boosts Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Verdence Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 32.1% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 46,817 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,385 shares during the period. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $4,891,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Walmart by 1.4% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 431,817,510 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,223,116,000 after purchasing an additional 5,856,468 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 94,557,532 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $9,199,712,000 after buying an additional 263,718 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth $5,367,770,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its position in shares of Walmart by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 31,973,329 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,126,775,000 after buying an additional 1,098,342 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 23.5% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 19,493,644 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,902,775,000 after buying an additional 3,710,506 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. UBS Group set a $130.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and set a $125.00 target price (up previously from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $129.00 price target (up from $122.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, January 5th. Thirty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $123.03.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Donna Morris sold 9,384 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.19, for a total value of $1,127,862.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 536,312 shares in the company, valued at $64,459,339.28. This trade represents a 1.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Daniel Danker sold 4,365 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.19, for a total value of $524,629.35. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 238,583 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $28,675,290.77. This trade represents a 1.80% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 135,215 shares of company stock valued at $15,071,810. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT stock opened at $119.70 on Tuesday. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $79.81 and a 12-month high of $121.24. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $111.83 and its 200-day simple moving average is $104.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The company has a market cap of $954.03 billion, a PE ratio of 41.85, a PEG ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 0.66.

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

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: RBC Capital retained an Outperform rating and lifted its price target (to $126), providing fresh analyst support that can help push the stock higher. RBC Capital Retains an Outperform Rating on Walmart Inc. (WMT)
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage arguing Walmart is built to withstand an economic downturn highlights durable traffic driven by low prices, supporting the thesis that Walmart’s sales and margins are more recession-resilient than peers. Is Walmart Stock Built to Withstand the Next Economic Downturn?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysis suggests Walmart’s dividend could rise materially over time as growth in China and India boosts cash flow — a potential catalyst for income-focused investors. Walmart stock dividend may surge thanks to China, India
• Positive Sentiment: WSJ reports Walmart is expanding higher-end home goods (e.g., a $1,699 espresso machine) to attract wealthier customers and better compete with Amazon — a strategy that could lift average ticket and margins in key categories. Can a $1,699 Espresso Machine Help Walmart Challenge Amazon?
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/sector ETF commentary (Zacks) touches on retail winners/losers but does not provide a direct, company-specific catalyst for Walmart. Winners & Losers: The ETF Playbook to Glide Trump’s Great Healthcare Plan
• Negative Sentiment: A separate Fool piece warns Walmart may be richly valued after its recent run, raising concern that upside could be limited if growth expectations cool; valuation is a near-term risk for the stock. Walmart Stock Has Been a Big Winner Recently. But Is It Overvalued Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart EVP sold about $1.575M in stock recently; sizable insider sales can be interpreted negatively by the market even if they are routine diversification. Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP Sells $1,574,868.75 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: A separate EVP sale of $166,560 was also reported, adding to the short-term headline risk around insider activity. Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP Sells $166,560.00 in Stock

About Walmart

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.