Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) Shares Sold by Castle Rock Wealth Management LLC

Castle Rock Wealth Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 13.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 38,068 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 5,829 shares during the quarter. Walmart comprises about 0.9% of Castle Rock Wealth Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Castle Rock Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $3,376,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in WMT. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,737,355,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,306,627,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 9,896.9% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,939,728 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $697,029,000 after acquiring an additional 7,860,306 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 37.1% in the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 25,339,448 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,289,419,000 after acquiring an additional 6,860,189 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in Walmart by 14.0% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 32,020,800 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,893,079,000 after acquiring an additional 3,927,173 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

NYSE:WMT traded up $1.10 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $99.82. The stock had a trading volume of 16,974,523 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,886,141. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $93.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $93.47. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $65.16 and a 12-month high of $105.30. 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 stock has a market cap of $798.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.42, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.70.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. The firm had revenue of $165.61 billion for 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%. Walmart's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.60 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $100.00 to $108.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Raymond James lowered their target price on shares of Walmart from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. Finally, Erste Group Bank lowered Walmart from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, March 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $104.94.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,760 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.82, for a total value of $166,883.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 520,275 shares of the company's stock, valued at $49,332,475.50. This trade represents a 0.34% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.95, for a total value of $343,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 888,309 shares of the company's stock, valued at $76,350,158.55. The trade was a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 135,334 shares of company stock worth $12,615,864 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

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.