Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) Shares Acquired by Navellier & Associates Inc.

Navellier & Associates Inc. boosted its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 1,336.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 98,077 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 91,251 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for about 1.2% of Navellier & Associates Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Navellier & Associates Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $8,610,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Horizon Financial Services LLC increased its position 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 worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 262 shares during the period. Bear Mountain Capital Inc. boosted its stake in Walmart by 98.2% in the first quarter. Bear Mountain Capital Inc. now owns 337 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the first quarter valued at $35,000. Lipe & Dalton boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 95.2% during the first quarter. Lipe & Dalton now owns 410 shares of the retailer's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Mizuho Bank Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $41,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,744 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.60, for a total value of $166,726.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 649,233 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,066,674.80. This trade represents a 0.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.19, for a total transaction of $1,887,041.04. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 4,431,783 shares in the company, valued at $430,724,989.77. The trade was a 0.44% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 126,696 shares of company stock valued at $12,222,245 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

NYSE WMT traded up $0.85 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $97.45. The company's stock had a trading volume of 12,845,633 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,524,539. 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 has a 50-day simple moving average of $96.76 and a 200 day simple moving average of $94.81. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $66.67 and a 52 week high of $105.30. The stock has a market cap of $777.72 billion, a PE ratio of 41.65, a PEG ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 0.68.

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 analysts' consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. Walmart had a net margin of 2.75% and a return on equity of 21.76%. 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 company posted $0.60 earnings per share. Walmart's revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on WMT. Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $105.00 to $107.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 16th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $103.00 price objective (up from $102.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, June 9th. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their price target on Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Two equities research 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $106.67.

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.