Brendel Financial Advisors LLC Reduces Holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Brendel Financial Advisors LLC lowered its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 15.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 48,004 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 8,612 shares during the quarter. Walmart comprises 2.6% of Brendel Financial Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 7th largest holding. Brendel Financial Advisors LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $4,214,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC boosted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 262 shares in the last quarter. Noble Wealth Management PBC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. Mizuho Bank Ltd. acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Nexus Investment Management ULC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the first quarter worth about $49,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Up 1.1%

Walmart stock opened at $96.16 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $767.41 billion, a PE ratio of 41.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.69 and a beta of 0.69. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $66.55 and a 12 month high of $105.30. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $96.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $94.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.22.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $165.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $164.53 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.76% and a net margin of 2.75%. The business's revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.60 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 16th. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. Finally, Raymond James Financial decreased their target price on Walmart from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $106.50.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,148 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.58, for a total value of $2,815,113.84. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 4,451,199 shares in the company, valued at $429,896,799.42. The trade was a 0.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,760 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.77, for a total value of $166,795.20. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 650,977 shares of the company's stock, valued at $61,693,090.29. This trade represents a 0.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 135,294 shares of company stock worth $12,656,659 over the last three months. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.

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