GAMMA Investing LLC Purchases 11,018 Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 13.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 90,440 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 11,018 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for about 0.6% of GAMMA Investing LLC's holdings, making the stock its 26th biggest position. GAMMA Investing LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $7,940,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Horizon Financial Services LLC raised its stake in Walmart by 1,007.7% in the fourth quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 262 shares in the last quarter. Noble Wealth Management PBC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $37,000. Mizuho Bank Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. Nexus Investment Management ULC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 1st quarter valued at $49,000. Finally, WealthTrak Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth $53,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $97.41 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $66.67 and a 1 year high of $105.30. The firm's 50-day moving average is $96.80 and its 200 day moving average is $94.24. The stock has a market cap of $777.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.63, a PEG ratio of 4.69 and a beta of 0.69. 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 results on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. Walmart had a net margin of 2.75% and a return on equity of 21.76%. The firm had revenue of $165.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $164.53 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.60 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Raymond James Financial reduced their target price on Walmart from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. Erste Group Bank downgraded Walmart from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, March 17th. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, June 9th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Walmart from $107.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $106.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.66, for a total transaction of $195,052.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 398,024 shares of the company's stock, valued at $35,288,807.84. This represents a 0.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,760 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.82, for a total transaction of $166,883.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 520,275 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $49,332,475.50. This represents a 0.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 142,711 shares of company stock worth $13,688,803. 45.58% of the stock is owned by 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.

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