Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) Shares Sold by Mizuho Securities USA LLC

Key Points

• Mizuho Securities USA LLC reduced its holdings in Walmart Inc. by 15.6% in Q1, selling 64,051 shares, which now represents 0.7% of its investment portfolio.
• Other institutional investors have also increased their positions, with several hedge funds purchasing new stakes, indicating ongoing interest in Walmart stock.
• Walmart reported a 0.61 EPS in its last earnings report, surpassing estimates, and has a current market capitalization of $828.13 billion.

Mizuho Securities USA LLC trimmed its stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 15.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 347,345 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 64,051 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up 0.7% of Mizuho Securities USA LLC's holdings, making the stock its 24th largest holding. Mizuho Securities USA LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $30,493,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of WMT. Whelan Financial raised its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Bedel Financial Consulting Inc. boosted 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. boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 3.7% in the 1st quarter. Scott & Selber Inc. now owns 2,920 shares of the retailer's stock worth $256,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Capital Advisors Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Capital Advisors Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,794 shares of the retailer's stock worth $684,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lauterbach Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Lauterbach Financial Advisors LLC now owns 5,885 shares of the retailer's stock worth $517,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WMT traded up $0.65 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $103.77. 12,392,140 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 14,088,264. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $67.14 and a one year high of $105.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The business's fifty day moving average is $97.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $95.38. The stock has a market cap of $828.13 billion, a PE ratio of 44.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.99 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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%. Walmart's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.60 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, 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 transaction of $2,716,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 1,064,455 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $103,252,135. This trade represents a 2.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 146,112 shares of company stock worth $14,080,073. Company insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on WMT. Erste Group Bank raised Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $117.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $115.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, June 9th. Tigress Financial boosted their price objective on Walmart from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 2nd. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of Walmart from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, June 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $106.67.

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.