Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) Shares Bought by Diversify Advisory Services LLC

Diversify Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 152.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 51,361 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 31,051 shares during the period. Diversify Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $4,933,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Walmart by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 422,736,888 shares of the retailer's stock worth $38,194,278,000 after purchasing an additional 2,050,683 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake 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 worth $8,167,186,000 after buying an additional 3,017,829 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,737,355,000. Northern Trust Corp raised its stake 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 worth $3,943,049,000 after buying an additional 3,550,037 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake 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 worth $3,796,129,000 after buying an additional 514,036 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE WMT traded down $0.08 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $95.01. 14,622,243 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 18,130,841. The firm has a market capitalization of $758.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.60, a PEG ratio of 4.58 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a current ratio of 0.78. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $66.67 and a 52-week high of $105.30. The company's 50-day moving average is $96.81 and its 200-day moving average is $94.62.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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. 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 company's revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.60 EPS. Analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on WMT. UBS Group reduced their target price on Walmart from $112.00 to $110.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Wall Street Zen raised Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Evercore ISI upped their target price on Walmart from $105.00 to $107.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. Mizuho increased their price objective on Walmart from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, June 9th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $103.00 price objective (up from $102.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, June 9th. Two 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $106.67.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,148 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.58, for a total transaction of $2,815,113.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,451,199 shares in the company, valued at $429,896,799.42. This trade represents a 0.65% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm's 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 945,434 shares of the company's stock, valued at $90,619,848.90. This trade represents a 1.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 142,695 shares of company stock valued at $13,710,162. 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.