The Walton Family Holdings Trust, a majority shareholder (more than 10% owner) of the American big-box retailer Walmart (WMT), sold common stock valued at approximately $99.6 million on December 19. This transaction marks the 16th big Informative Sell transaction by the trust this year, implying a continued reduction in its ownership. The Walton Family Holdings Trust, owned by the Walton Family, is the largest shareholder of the retailer and also holds the most voting power.
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The retailer recently moved its listing to Nasdaq from NYSE, aligning with its people-led, tech-powered approach to long-term strategy. Walmart was founded about 60 years ago by brothers Sam and Bud Walton. Today, the Walton family ranks among the world’s wealthiest, with heirs Jim, Alice, and Rob Walton serving as co-trustees of the Walton Family Holdings Trust.
A corporate insider’s share sale usually signals caution about the company’s future potential. However, an insider might sell shares for other reasons, such as financial or personal obligations. Hence, it is important to watch these trades for clues on the company’s growth expectations.
A Closer Look at the Insider’s Transactions
As per Form 4 filed with the SEC on December 19, the Walton Family Holdings Trust sold 872,000 shares of Walmart in multiple tranches at weighted average prices ranging between $114.2569 and $114.582 apiece. The trust had sold another $30 million worth of shares on December 16.
Following the latest share sale, the trust still owns 525,964,456 Walmart common shares worth about $60 billion, based on Friday’s closing stock price of $114.36. The exact intent of the trust’s share sale remains unknown at the moment.
WMT stock currently has a Negative Insider Confidence Signal on TipRanks, based on Informative Sell transactions worth $569.7 million, undertaken in the last three months. Of these trades, the Walton family trust sold the majority of the shares.
Is Walmart Stock a Buy?
Walmart beat both sales and earnings expectations for the third quarter of fiscal 2026, driven by a 27% hike in global e-commerce sales and an 11.4% rise in international sales.
Analysts remain optimistic about Walmart’s outlook. Based on 25 unanimous Buy ratings on TipRanks, WMT commands a Strong Buy consensus rating. The average Walmart price target of $123.63 implies 8.1% upside potential from current levels. Year-to-date, WMT stock has surged nearly 28%.
