Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. Has $21.41 Million Stock Position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Key Points

• Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Walmart Inc. by 1.4%, owning a total of **243,879 shares** valued at approximately **$21.4 million**.
• Walmart's quarterly earnings showed a **year-over-year revenue growth** of 2.5%, with earnings per share of **$0.61**, exceeding analyst expectations.
• A number of brokerages have set **price targets** for Walmart shares, with Mizuho raising the target from **$105 to $115**, reflecting a **positive outlook** on the company's performance.

Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 1.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 243,879 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 3,315 shares during the quarter. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $21,410,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Independence Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at $336,000. Brucke Financial Inc. raised its position in Walmart by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Brucke Financial Inc. now owns 28,616 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,783,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the last quarter. FOCUS Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Walmart by 3.7% in the 1st quarter. FOCUS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 22,763 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,998,000 after purchasing an additional 803 shares during the last quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd raised its position in Walmart by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 56,148 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $5,075,000 after purchasing an additional 428 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise purchased a new position in Walmart during the 1st quarter worth $8,752,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.14, for a total value of $1,248,712.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 932,313 shares in the company, valued at $88,700,258.82. This represents a 1.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.44, for a total transaction of $216,568.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 628,318 shares in the company, valued at approximately $61,851,623.92. This represents a 0.35% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 146,112 shares of company stock worth $14,078,027. Insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the topic of a number of research reports. DA Davidson reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $117.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of Walmart from $93.00 to $91.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $115.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, June 9th. Two investment 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's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $106.67.

Walmart Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:WMT traded down $0.74 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $97.59. The stock had a trading volume of 13,844,039 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,240,789. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The company has a market capitalization of $778.81 billion, a PE ratio of 41.71, a PEG ratio of 4.73 and a beta of 0.68. The firm's fifty day moving average is $96.78 and its 200 day moving average is $94.93. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $66.67 and a 12 month high of $105.30.

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

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

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.