LeConte Wealth Management LLC Invests $245,000 in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Key Points

• LeConte Wealth Management LLC has invested approximately $245,000 in Walmart Inc., acquiring 2,792 shares during the first quarter.
• Several institutional investors have also increased their holdings in Walmart, indicating a strong interest in the retailer's stock.
• Walmart recently reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, surpassing estimates, while also announcing a dividend of $0.235 per share to be paid on September 2nd.

LeConte Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 2,792 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $245,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Whelan Financial raised its position in Walmart by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Whelan Financial now owns 4,339 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $392,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Bedel Financial Consulting Inc. raised its position in Walmart by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Bedel Financial Consulting Inc. now owns 25,915 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,275,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Scott & Selber Inc. raised its position in Walmart by 3.7% in the 1st quarter. Scott & Selber Inc. now owns 2,920 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $256,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Capital Advisors Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Capital Advisors Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,794 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $684,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. Finally, Lauterbach Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Lauterbach Financial Advisors LLC now owns 5,885 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $517,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. DA Davidson restated a "buy" rating and issued a $117.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on Walmart from $107.00 to $108.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Walmart from $112.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $109.29.

Walmart Stock Performance

NYSE:WMT opened at $99.96 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $97.60 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $95.58. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $72.52 and a twelve month high of $105.30. The stock has a market cap of $797.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.72, a PEG ratio of 4.80 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.03. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.76% and a net margin of 2.75%. The firm had revenue of $165.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $164.53 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.60 EPS. The company's revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, August 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 90.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. Walmart's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.17%.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.44, for a total transaction of $216,568.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 628,318 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $61,851,623.92. This trade represents a 0.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 28,000 shares of the firm'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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 1,064,455 shares in the company, valued at approximately $103,252,135. This represents a 2.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 144,334 shares of company stock valued at $13,913,350. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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