Auxier Asset Management Has $13.07 Million Position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Auxier Asset Management lowered its position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 1.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 144,625 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 2,823 shares during the quarter. Walmart comprises 2.0% of Auxier Asset Management's investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Auxier Asset Management's holdings in Walmart were worth $13,067,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $5,737,355,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,306,627,000. Jennison Associates LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 37.1% during the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 25,339,448 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,289,419,000 after acquiring an additional 6,860,189 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in Walmart by 14.0% during the 4th 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 lifted its stake in Walmart by 8.9% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 43,641,936 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,943,049,000 after purchasing an additional 3,550,037 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Trading Up 0.6%

WMT opened at $96.49 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $64.16 and a one year high of $105.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $92.33 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $92.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $772.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.04, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.70.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 analysts' expectations of $164.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.60 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th will be given a $0.235 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.95%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is 40.17%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on WMT. DZ Bank raised shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Roth Mkm restated a "buy" rating and issued a $108.00 target price (up from $97.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 5th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $102.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Finally, Mizuho initiated coverage on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, April 11th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $105.00 price objective on the stock. Two investment 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, Walmart currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $104.94.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.95, for a total value of $2,823,571.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,558,247 shares in the company, valued at $344,972,046.65. This trade represents a 0.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 28,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.00, for a total value of $2,716,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 1,064,455 shares in the company, valued at $103,252,135. This trade represents a 2.56% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 177,583 shares of company stock valued at $16,701,404. Corporate insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

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.

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