Verity Asset Management Inc. cut its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 49.4% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 36,176 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 35,254 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for about 1.7% of Verity Asset Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Verity Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $4,030,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $49,015,626,000 after acquiring an additional 4,304,436 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Walmart by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $19,046,104,000 after purchasing an additional 2,242,364 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,298,623 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,153,176,000 after purchasing an additional 634,211 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc increased its position in shares of Walmart by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 27,268,463 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,810,288,000 after purchasing an additional 934,468 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of Walmart by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 24,990,692 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,575,541,000 after purchasing an additional 93,459 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Walmart News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Opened a third owned-and-operated U.S. milk processing plant (Robinson, Texas) — a $350M, 300k+ sq ft facility creating 400+ jobs that strengthens Walmart’s end‑to‑end dairy supply chain, supports lower-cost fresh milk, and reduces reliance on third‑party processors. This is a tangible, margin‑supporting capex move in a core grocery category. Walmart Opens Third Owned and Operated Milk Processing Facility
- Positive Sentiment: Large shareholder buying — Alecta Pensionsforsakring increased its Walmart stake by ~406,400 shares, a signal of institutional confidence that can support the stock. Alecta Boosts Walmart Stake
- Positive Sentiment: Local assortment and store upgrades — Walmart is expanding local product assortments (e.g., regionally targeted grocery SKUs) and earmarking millions for Arizona store upgrades, both moves aimed at winning budget‑constrained shoppers and improving store experience. These tactics can help comps and traffic. Walmart Eyes Local Products
- Neutral Sentiment: Restructuring store leadership and a fashion push — Management is eliminating the “store lead” role while expanding higher‑paid managerial positions and accelerating fashion/private‑label efforts (SoHo pop‑up, higher‑end private labels). Could drive sales mix improvement and retention, but also raises near‑term payroll/operating costs. Walmart Reshapes Store Leadership
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media bullishness vs valuation — Several bullish write‑ups and comparison pieces (including Walmart vs. Costco) highlight share gains among higher‑income shoppers and e‑commerce growth, but note a rich forward P/E and mixed margin dynamics—important context for investors weighing further upside. Better Buy: Walmart or Costco Stock
- Neutral Sentiment: Corporate social and partnership items — Grants from the Acres for America program and expanded supplier partnerships are positive for brand/CSR but are unlikely to move fundamentals materially in the near term. NFWF Announces Grants from Walmart’s Acres for America
Walmart Stock Performance
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last announced 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.66 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.
Walmart Dividend Announcement
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.13%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of analysts recently issued reports on WMT shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $140.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Tigress Financial set a $150.00 target price on Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. DA Davidson set a $150.00 target price on Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 target price on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $137.79.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Walmart
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.71, for a total value of $2,460,201.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,023,209 shares in the company, valued at approximately $509,780,812.39. This trade represents a 0.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total value of $1,600,725.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 687,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $83,821,522.52. The trade was a 1.87% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 263,376 shares of company stock worth $32,851,650. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s 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.
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