Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC Invests $12.09 Million in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 137,710 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $12,090,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Walmart by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 422,736,888 shares of the retailer's stock worth $38,194,278,000 after buying an additional 2,050,683 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Walmart by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 90,635,238 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,167,186,000 after buying an additional 3,017,829 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $5,737,355,000. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 48,793,045 shares of the retailer's stock worth $4,408,452,000 after acquiring an additional 1,133,201 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted 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 acquiring an additional 3,550,037 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of NYSE WMT traded up $0.85 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $95.10. 11,215,002 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 17,916,866. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $96.13 and a 200-day moving average price of $94.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a current ratio of 0.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $758.95 billion, a PE ratio of 40.64, a P/E/G ratio of 4.60 and a beta of 0.69. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $66.55 and a 12-month high of $105.30.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $165.61 billion during 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%. Walmart's revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.60 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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 of this dividend was Friday, May 9th. Walmart's payout ratio is presently 40.17%.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 28,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.00, for a total value of $2,716,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 1,064,455 shares in the company, valued at approximately $103,252,135. The trade was a 2.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.66, for a total transaction of $195,052.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 398,024 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $35,288,807.84. This trade represents a 0.55% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 135,294 shares of company stock worth $12,656,659. Insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on WMT. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $108.00 price target (up previously from $97.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 21st. DZ Bank raised Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $100.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, DA Davidson restated a "buy" rating and set a $117.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $106.50.

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.