Asset Dedication LLC Sells 3,836 Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Asset Dedication LLC lessened its stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 4.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 82,828 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 3,836 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up about 0.6% of Asset Dedication LLC's holdings, making the stock its 26th largest position. Asset Dedication LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $7,271,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of WMT. Horizon Financial Services LLC increased its position in Walmart by 1,007.7% in the fourth quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 262 shares during the last quarter. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the first quarter worth $35,000. Mizuho Bank Ltd. purchased a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $41,000. Nexus Investment Management ULC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the first quarter valued at $49,000. Finally, WealthTrak Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $53,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Down 0.5%

WMT stock opened at $94.36 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $66.67 and a fifty-two week high of $105.30. The business's 50 day moving average price is $97.10 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $94.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a current ratio of 0.78. The company has a market capitalization of $753.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.54 and a beta of 0.68.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.76% and a net margin of 2.75%. 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 prior year, the business earned $0.60 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently commented on WMT shares. Mizuho boosted their target price on Walmart from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, June 9th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $117.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $115.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, June 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $106.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.19, for a total value of $1,887,041.04. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 4,431,783 shares in the company, valued at $430,724,989.77. This represents a 0.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.24, for a total value of $380,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 1,060,455 shares in the company, valued at $100,997,734.20. The trade was a 0.38% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 142,711 shares of company stock worth $13,710,319 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

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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