Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Acquired by Welch & Forbes LLC

Welch & Forbes LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 1.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 535,229 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,858 shares during the period. Welch & Forbes LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $59,630,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,561 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $285,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. Capstone Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,955 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $552,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the period. Ellenbecker Investment Group boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group now owns 14,475 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,613,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Matrix Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 20.0% in the fourth quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 547 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 4.1% in the fourth quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,362 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $263,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on WMT. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price objective on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $145.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Freedom Capital raised shares of Walmart from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $145.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.85.

Walmart Stock Down 2.6%

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $115.75 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $93.43 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The company has a 50 day moving average of $126.11 and a 200 day moving average of $120.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The company has a market capitalization of $922.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.61, a P/E/G ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.61 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total value of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at $62,203,571.56. The trade was a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total transaction 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. This represents a 1.87% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 137,008 shares of company stock valued at $17,048,504 over the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Sam’s Club reported strong member engagement, with its Member’s Mark community topping 150,000 participants, highlighting growth in Walmart’s warehouse-club business and its ability to build loyalty around private-label products. Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark Community Surges to Over 150000 Participants
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary from market watchers suggested Walmart’s recent pullback could be a buying opportunity, with analysts still pointing to meaningful upside versus current trading levels. Why the Walmart Dip Is the Best Buying Opportunity of 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart was highlighted in a value-comparison piece versus Kroger, reinforcing ongoing investor interest in the stock as a defensive retail name rather than signaling a clear catalyst. KR vs. WMT Which Stock Is the Better Value Option
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s name came up in broader coverage about slower consumer spending and inflation, which may support its value-oriented positioning but also underscores a cautious macro backdrop. Amazon and Walmart Turn to Platform Economics as Consumer Spending Slows
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of executive departures during Walmart’s leadership transition may raise concerns about stability as the company prepares for a CEO change. Walmart Faces Executive Departures Amid Leadership Transition
• Negative Sentiment: Two senior insiders sold shares, including EVP Latriece Watkins and Director C. Douglas McMillon, which can weigh on sentiment even though McMillon’s sale was made under a pre-arranged trading plan. Insider trade: Latriece Watkins Insider trade: C Douglas Mcmillon

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.