Calamos Advisors LLC Boosts Stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Calamos Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 2.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,761,745 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 38,852 shares during the period. Walmart comprises approximately 0.7% of Calamos Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 21st largest position. Calamos Advisors LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $154,664,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Walmart by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 422,736,888 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $38,194,278,000 after acquiring an additional 2,050,683 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Walmart by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 90,635,238 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,167,186,000 after acquiring an additional 3,017,829 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $5,737,355,000. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in shares of Walmart by 8.9% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 43,641,936 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,943,049,000 after acquiring an additional 3,550,037 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in shares of Walmart by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 42,015,818 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,796,129,000 after acquiring an additional 514,036 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WMT traded up $0.68 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $98.29. 7,686,204 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 18,082,978. The company's 50-day moving average is $97.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $94.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.22. The company has a market capitalization of $784.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.00, a PEG ratio of 4.73 and a beta of 0.68. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $66.67 and a 1 year high of $105.30.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced 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. The firm had revenue of $165.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $164.53 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 2.75% and a return on equity of 21.76%. The business's revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.60 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.85, for a total value of $1,258,031.25. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 945,434 shares of the company's stock, valued at $90,619,848.90. This represents a 1.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,760 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.77, for a total transaction of $166,795.20. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 650,977 shares in the company, 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. In the last three months, insiders sold 142,711 shares of company stock worth $13,710,319. 45.58% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WMT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Walmart from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, June 9th. KeyCorp upped their target price on shares of Walmart from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, June 9th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of Walmart from $105.00 to $107.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $106.67.

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.