Clark Capital Management Group Inc. Boosts Holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Clark Capital Management Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 1.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 877,109 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 10,070 shares during the quarter. Clark Capital Management Group Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $79,247,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. World Investment Advisors grew its position in shares of Walmart by 7.6% during the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 271,515 shares of the retailer's stock worth $24,532,000 after buying an additional 19,233 shares in the last quarter. Candriam S.C.A. lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 209.7% in the 4th quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 885,008 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $79,960,000 after purchasing an additional 599,257 shares during the period. Modera Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC now owns 203,150 shares of the retailer's stock worth $18,355,000 after purchasing an additional 9,292 shares during the period. Cushing Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $1,124,000. Finally, Campbell Wealth Management purchased a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $359,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on WMT shares. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of Walmart from $93.00 to $91.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. DZ Bank upgraded Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Walmart from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, March 17th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $103.94.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 17,600 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.42, for a total transaction of $1,661,792.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 348,357 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,891,867.94. This trade represents a 4.81 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.95, for a total value of $2,823,571.80. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 3,558,247 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $344,972,046.65. This represents a 0.81 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 133,857 shares of company stock worth $12,444,743 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WMT opened at $98.76 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The company has a market cap of $790.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.98, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.70. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $90.62 and a 200 day moving average price of $91.70. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $59.44 and a twelve month high of $105.30.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.02. Walmart had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 21.87%. The firm had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $178.83 billion. Research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th will be paid a $0.235 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.95%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.00%.

About Walmart

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.

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