Avantax Advisory Services Inc. Has $62.13 Million Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Avantax Advisory Services Inc. raised its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 2.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 707,791 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 19,872 shares during the quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $62,128,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Horizon Financial Services LLC lifted its position in 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. Bear Mountain Capital Inc. boosted its position in Walmart by 98.2% during the 1st quarter. Bear Mountain Capital Inc. now owns 337 shares of the retailer's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares during the period. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Walmart during the 1st quarter worth $35,000. Lipe & Dalton lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 95.2% in the first quarter. Lipe & Dalton now owns 410 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Mizuho Bank Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on WMT shares. Wall Street Zen raised Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Truist Financial raised their target price on Walmart from $107.00 to $111.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 16th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on Walmart from $105.00 to $107.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. Robert W. Baird raised 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. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, June 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $106.67.

Walmart Stock Up 0.9%

WMT traded up $0.85 on Friday, hitting $97.45. 12,845,633 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 13,524,539. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $66.67 and a 12 month high of $105.30. The company 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. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a current ratio of 0.78. The stock's fifty day moving average is $96.76 and its 200-day moving average is $94.81.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.76% and a net margin of 2.75%. The firm had revenue of $165.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $164.53 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.60 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business 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. This represents a yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 9th. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is currently 40.17%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, July 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.14, for a total value of $380,560.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 1,056,455 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $100,511,128.70. This trade represents a 0.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.14, for a total value of $1,248,712.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 932,313 shares in the company, valued at approximately $88,700,258.82. This represents a 1.39% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 126,696 shares of company stock valued at $12,222,245 over the last ninety days. 45.58% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.