Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) is Zacks Investment Management’s 10th Largest Position

Zacks Investment Management lessened its stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) by 10.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,965,196 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 229,434 shares during the quarter. Walmart comprises approximately 1.6% of Zacks Investment Management’s holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Zacks Investment Management’s holdings in Walmart were worth $177,555,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 1,007.7% in the 4th quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 262 shares in the last quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. bought a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Noble Wealth Management PBC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Performance

WMT opened at $93.97 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $92.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $90.09. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The stock has a market cap of $753.38 billion, a PE ratio of 38.99, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $58.56 and a 1 year high of $105.30.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.02. Walmart had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 21.87%. The company had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $178.83 billion. Sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 12th will be paid a $0.235 dividend. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 12th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.95, for a total transaction of $343,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 888,309 shares in the company, valued at approximately $76,350,158.55. This represents a 0.45 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.99, for a total value of $166,384.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 423,597 shares in the company, valued at approximately $44,049,852.03. This trade represents a 0.38 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 177,022 shares of company stock worth $16,618,422 in the last three months. Insiders own 45.58% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on WMT. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $115.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. UBS Group cut their price target on Walmart from $112.00 to $110.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $115.00 target price (up from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Walmart from $100.00 to $108.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Raymond James lowered their target price on shares of Walmart from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $103.58.

Walmart Profile

Walmart Inc engages in the operation of retail, wholesale, other units, and eCommerce worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club. It operates supercenters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, cash and carry stores, and discount stores under Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands; membership-only warehouse clubs; ecommerce websites, such as walmart.com.mx, walmart.ca, flipkart.com, PhonePe and other sites; and mobile commerce applications.