Crestline Management LP Raises Stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Crestline Management LP boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 77.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 24,137 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 10,510 shares during the quarter. Crestline Management LP's holdings in Walmart were worth $2,181,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC increased its position in Walmart by 1,007.7% during 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 during the period. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. bought a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Noble Wealth Management PBC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Stock Performance

WMT stock traded down $0.65 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $96.78. 13,689,204 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,824,982. The firm has a market capitalization of $774.33 billion, a PE ratio of 40.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $90.66 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $91.91. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $59.44 and a 52 week high of $105.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.82.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last released 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. The company had revenue of $180.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $178.83 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.87% and a net margin of 2.85%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $115.00 target price (up previously from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Mizuho started coverage on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, April 11th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $105.00 price target for the company. Roth Mkm reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $108.00 price objective (up previously from $97.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 21st. DZ Bank upgraded Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $115.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $103.94.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other 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 sale, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.37, for a total transaction of $214,214.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 632,718 shares in the company, valued at approximately $61,607,751.66. This trade represents a 0.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 133,857 shares of company stock valued at $12,444,743. Company insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

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.