Golden State Wealth Management LLC Grows Stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Golden State Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 130.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 37,321 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 21,117 shares during the quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $3,277,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in WMT. Horizon Financial Services LLC lifted 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 worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 262 shares during the period. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at about $35,000. Noble Wealth Management PBC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Mizuho Bank Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Nexus Investment Management ULC purchased a new position in Walmart during the first quarter valued at approximately $49,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Down 0.8%

Walmart stock opened at $97.24 on Thursday. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $96.65 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $94.20. 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 company has a market cap of $776.02 billion, a PE ratio of 41.56, a PEG ratio of 4.78 and a beta of 0.69. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $66.67 and a fifty-two week high of $105.30.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $165.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.60 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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 40.17%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,148 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.58, for a total value of $2,815,113.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 4,451,199 shares of the company's stock, valued at $429,896,799.42. The trade was a 0.65% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.66, for a total value of $195,052.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 398,024 shares in the company, valued at $35,288,807.84. The trade was a 0.55% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 123,295 shares of company stock valued at $11,801,762 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on WMT. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on Walmart from $93.00 to $91.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Raymond James Financial decreased their price objective on Walmart from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Barclays reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $103.00 price target (up from $102.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, June 9th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of Walmart from $105.00 to $107.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.