Employees Retirement System of Texas Sells 46,667 Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Employees Retirement System of Texas trimmed its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 3.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,423,689 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 46,667 shares during the period. Walmart comprises approximately 1.1% of Employees Retirement System of Texas' investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position. Employees Retirement System of Texas' holdings in Walmart were worth $128,630,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of WMT. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC grew 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 purchasing an additional 262 shares in the last quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Noble Wealth Management PBC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Mizuho Bank Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $41,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

WMT stock traded up $1.18 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $97.52. The stock had a trading volume of 17,168,296 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,858,663. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $64.16 and a 52 week high of $105.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $92.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of $93.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $780.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.46, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.70.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.03. Walmart had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 21.87%. The firm had revenue of $165.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $164.53 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.60 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th will be issued a $0.235 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 9th. Walmart's payout ratio is currently 40.17%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.37, for a total transaction of $214,214.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 632,718 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $61,607,751.66. This represents a 0.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 owns 888,309 shares in the company, 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 have sold a total of 177,583 shares of company stock worth $16,701,404 in the last three months. Insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on WMT shares. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Raymond James dropped their price objective on shares of Walmart from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $104.94.

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.