Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) Position Boosted by Simplicity Wealth LLC

Simplicity Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 348.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 56,775 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 44,106 shares during the quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $4,984,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 1,007.7% during the 4th quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 262 shares in the last quarter. Noble Wealth Management PBC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Mizuho Bank Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 40.0% during the 4th quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 525 shares of the retailer's stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of WMT stock traded down $0.63 on Friday, reaching $94.20. 18,672,575 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 17,923,078. The stock has a market cap of $753.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.09, a price-to-earnings-growth 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. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $95.54 and a two-hundred day moving average of $94.04. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $66.30 and a 1-year high of $105.30.

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, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.87% and a net margin of 2.85%. The business had revenue of $165.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $164.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.60 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $115.00 target price (up previously from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $117.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 16th. DZ Bank raised Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Mizuho upped their target price on Walmart from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday. 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 company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $106.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.63, for a total value of $2,493,888.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,972,517 shares of the company's stock, valued at $340,166,630.71. This represents a 0.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.66, for a total transaction of $195,052.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 398,024 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $35,288,807.84. The trade was a 0.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 137,534 shares of company stock valued at $12,833,664. Company insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

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.