Meyer Handelman Co. Decreases Stock Position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Meyer Handelman Co. decreased its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 0.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 755,009 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 4,516 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for 2.3% of Meyer Handelman Co.'s portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position. Meyer Handelman Co.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $66,282,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 1,007.7% during 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 in the last quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Noble Wealth Management PBC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Mizuho Bank Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

WMT stock traded up $1.47 on Friday, hitting $98.57. The company had a trading volume of 29,968,085 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,890,104. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $65.16 and a 12-month high of $105.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $93.46 and its 200 day simple moving average is $93.41. The stock has a market cap of $788.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.90, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.70.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.03. Walmart had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 21.87%. The business had revenue of $165.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $164.53 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.60 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.66, for a total value of $195,052.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 398,024 shares in the company, valued at approximately $35,288,807.84. This trade represents a 0.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,148 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.58, for a total transaction of $2,815,113.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 4,451,199 shares in the company, valued at $429,896,799.42. The trade was a 0.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 135,334 shares of company stock worth $12,615,864. Company insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. Roth Mkm reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $108.00 price target (up previously from $97.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 21st. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Evercore ISI cut their price target on shares of Walmart from $107.00 to $100.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $104.94.

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.