Argus Investors Counsel Inc. Trims Position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Argus Investors Counsel Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 21.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,064 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 3,000 shares during the quarter. Argus Investors Counsel Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $971,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $5,737,355,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $2,306,627,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 9,896.9% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,939,728 shares of the retailer's stock worth $697,029,000 after acquiring an additional 7,860,306 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 14.0% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 32,020,800 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,893,079,000 after acquiring an additional 3,927,173 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its position in shares of Walmart by 8.9% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 43,641,936 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,943,049,000 after purchasing an additional 3,550,037 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Trading Down 0.7%

NYSE:WMT traded down $0.63 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $94.20. The company's stock had a trading volume of 18,672,575 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,944,516. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $751.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.09, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $95.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $94.08. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $66.41 and a 1 year high of $105.30.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.03. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.87% and a net margin of 2.85%. The firm had revenue of $165.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $164.53 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.60 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 27th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 12th were paid a $0.235 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 9th. This represents a yield of 0.95%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.17%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wall Street Zen raised Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. Roth Mkm reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $108.00 price target (up from $97.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $105.00 to $107.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $106.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,760 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.82, for a total value of $166,883.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 520,275 shares of the company's stock, valued at $49,332,475.50. The trade was a 0.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.63, for a total transaction of $2,493,888.12. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,972,517 shares of the company's stock, valued at $340,166,630.71. The trade was a 0.73% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 137,534 shares of company stock worth $12,833,664. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Walmart Company 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.