Choate Investment Advisors Has $48.09 Million Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

25 May 2026, 09:30 by Teresa Graham · The Cerbat Gem

Choate Investment Advisors lifted its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 12.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 431,661 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 49,316 shares during the period. Walmart makes up approximately 0.9% of Choate Investment Advisors’ holdings, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Choate Investment Advisors’ holdings in Walmart were worth $48,091,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Collier Financial bought a new stake in Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new stake in Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total transaction of $359,368.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 577,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $71,607,543.76. This trade represents a 0.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $62,203,571.56. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 126,008 shares of company stock worth $15,896,715. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $120.27 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $958.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.20, a P/E/G ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $93.43 and a twelve month high of $135.15. The company has a 50 day moving average of $126.77 and a 200-day moving average of $120.16. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.61 EPS. 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, equities research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

Positive Sentiment: Walmart posted solid first-quarter results, with revenue of $177.8 billion and EPS of $0.66, while e-commerce sales rose 26% and advertising revenue jumped 37%, highlighting continued strength in digital and membership-driven businesses.
Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remained constructive after earnings: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating and said Walmart is well positioned to gain share in a price-sensitive environment, while BTIG and BNP Paribas Exane also kept positive ratings despite modestly trimming price targets.
Neutral Sentiment: Walmart disclosed pre-arranged insider sales by CEO John Furner and EVP Christopher James Nicholas, but both transactions were made under 10b5-1 plans, which typically limits how much investors read into them.
Neutral Sentiment: News reports also noted leadership changes, including the departure of Sam’s Club COO Tom Ward and U.S. stores EVP Cedric Clark, adding some uncertainty but not appearing to change the company’s near-term operating outlook.
Negative Sentiment: Shares weakened after Walmart issued second-quarter EPS guidance below consensus and reaffirmed full-year targets that also came in below Wall Street expectations, prompting concerns that margin pressure could continue.
Negative Sentiment: Management said elevated fuel prices are pressuring both consumers and Walmart’s own costs, reinforcing worries that spending could soften and profitability could stay under pressure in the coming quarters.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 target price on Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. DA Davidson set a $150.00 target price on Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 target price (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Craig Hallum set a $150.00 target price on Walmart in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Two 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’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.71.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on WMT

Walmart Company Profile

(Free Report)

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.