Guardian Asset Advisors LLC Increases Stock Position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Guardian Asset Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 8.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 34,611 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 2,705 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for approximately 2.0% of Guardian Asset Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 12th largest position. Guardian Asset Advisors LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $3,038,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Horizon Financial Services LLC grew its stake in shares of 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 purchased a new stake in Walmart in the first quarter worth approximately $35,000. Noble Wealth Management PBC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth approximately $37,000. Mizuho Bank Ltd. bought a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. Finally, Nexus Investment Management ULC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 1st quarter valued at $49,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of WMT opened at $97.41 on Friday. The business's 50 day moving average is $96.80 and its 200 day moving average is $94.23. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $66.67 and a 12-month high of $105.30. The company has a market capitalization of $777.37 billion, a PE ratio of 41.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.75 and a beta of 0.69.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $165.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $164.53 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 2.75% and a return on equity of 21.76%. The company's revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.60 EPS. Research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.19, for a total value of $2,743,189.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 4,480,347 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $422,003,883.93. The trade was a 0.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.00, for a total value of $217,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 630,518 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $62,421,282. The trade was a 0.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 142,711 shares of company stock valued at $13,688,803. Corporate insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on WMT shares. Evercore ISI increased their price target on Walmart from $105.00 to $107.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 12th. UBS Group dropped their target price on Walmart from $112.00 to $110.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on Walmart from $107.00 to $111.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $115.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, June 9th. Two equities research 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's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price 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.

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