Secure Asset Management LLC Acquires 5,729 Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Secure Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 21.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 32,257 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 5,729 shares during the quarter. Secure Asset Management LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $2,832,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of WMT. World Investment Advisors boosted its position in Walmart by 7.6% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 271,515 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $24,532,000 after buying an additional 19,233 shares in the last quarter. Candriam S.C.A. grew its holdings in Walmart by 209.7% during the fourth quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 885,008 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $79,960,000 after purchasing an additional 599,257 shares during the period. Modera Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC now owns 203,150 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $18,355,000 after buying an additional 9,292 shares during the period. Cushing Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $1,124,000. Finally, Campbell Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $359,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.95, for a total transaction of $343,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 888,309 shares in the company, valued at approximately $76,350,158.55. This trade represents a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.66, for a total value of $195,052.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 398,024 shares in the company, valued at $35,288,807.84. This represents a 0.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 137,534 shares of company stock worth $12,833,664. Insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of Walmart stock traded down $1.53 during trading on Thursday, hitting $97.82. 15,800,659 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,879,710. The stock has a market cap of $782.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.59, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $65.64 and a 52 week high of $105.30. The firm's fifty day moving average is $94.33 and its 200-day moving average is $93.67.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $165.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $164.53 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.87% and a net margin of 2.85%. The firm's revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.60 earnings per share. Research analysts expect 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. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th were issued a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 9th. Walmart's payout ratio is presently 40.17%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the topic of several research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $115.00 price objective (up previously from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 13th. DA Davidson reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $117.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 16th. Finally, DZ Bank upgraded Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $105.16.

Walmart Company 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.