IFM Investors Pty Ltd Boosts Holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

IFM Investors Pty Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 9.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 876,630 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 77,009 shares during the period. Walmart comprises 0.7% of IFM Investors Pty Ltd's investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. IFM Investors Pty Ltd's holdings in Walmart were worth $70,788,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Horizon Financial Services LLC boosted its holdings 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 during the period. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at about $35,000. Mizuho Bank Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $41,000. Nexus Investment Management ULC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the first quarter worth approximately $49,000. Finally, WealthTrak Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $53,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Price Performance

Walmart stock opened at $98.29 on Friday. 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 one year low of $66.67 and a one year high of $105.30. The company has a market cap of $784.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.70 and a beta of 0.68. The business has a fifty day moving average of $97.07 and a two-hundred day moving average of $94.33.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 company had revenue of $165.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $164.53 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 2.75% and a return on equity of 21.76%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.60 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th were given a $0.235 dividend. 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 currently 40.17%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WMT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on shares of Walmart from $105.00 to $107.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Walmart from $107.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. UBS Group dropped their target price on Walmart from $112.00 to $110.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. 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's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $106.67.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.00, for a total value of $217,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 630,518 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $62,421,282. This represents a 0.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 28,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 owned 1,064,455 shares in the company, valued at approximately $103,252,135. This trade represents a 2.56% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 142,711 shares of company stock worth $13,710,319. Corporate insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

About Walmart

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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