Diligent Investors LLC Has $3.47 Million Stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Diligent Investors LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 20.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 39,498 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 10,015 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for approximately 0.8% of Diligent Investors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Diligent Investors LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $3,468,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,737,355,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,306,627,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 9,896.9% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,939,728 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $697,029,000 after buying an additional 7,860,306 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 37.1% during the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 25,339,448 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,289,419,000 after purchasing an additional 6,860,189 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in Walmart by 14.0% during 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 purchasing an additional 3,927,173 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WMT traded down $1.53 during trading on Thursday, hitting $97.82. 15,800,659 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,891,299. The stock has a market capitalization of $782.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.59, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69. The business's fifty day moving average is $94.33 and its 200-day moving average is $93.67. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $65.64 and a one year high of $105.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.87% and a net margin of 2.85%. The business had revenue of $165.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $164.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.60 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on WMT. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 16th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. KeyCorp boosted their price target on Walmart from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Erste Group Bank downgraded Walmart from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, March 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $105.16.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.00, for a total value of $217,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 630,518 shares in the company, valued at $62,421,282. This represents a 0.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.95, for a total transaction of $343,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 888,309 shares in the company, valued at $76,350,158.55. This trade represents a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 137,534 shares of company stock valued at $12,833,664. 45.58% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.