Nvest Financial LLC Sells 2,925 Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Nvest Financial LLC cut its position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 4.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 57,733 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 2,925 shares during the period. Walmart makes up about 2.7% of Nvest Financial LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding. Nvest Financial LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $5,068,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of WMT. Whelan Financial boosted its holdings in Walmart by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. Whelan Financial now owns 4,339 shares of the retailer's stock worth $392,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,937 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $538,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the period. Van Strum & Towne Inc. raised its stake in Walmart by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Van Strum & Towne Inc. now owns 6,849 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $619,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the period. Planning Center Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.8% in the first quarter. Planning Center Inc. now owns 6,018 shares of the retailer's stock worth $528,000 after buying an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mainstream Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Mainstream Capital Management LLC now owns 10,871 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $982,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WMT traded down $1.04 during trading on Thursday, reaching $96.22. 19,330,541 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,952,013. The stock has a market cap of $767.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.12, a PEG ratio of 4.78 and a beta of 0.69. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $96.65 and its 200 day simple moving average is $94.20. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $66.67 and a 12-month high of $105.30.

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, beating the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.03. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.76% and a net margin of 2.75%. The company had revenue of $165.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $164.53 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.60 earnings per share. Walmart's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 paid a $0.235 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.95%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is presently 40.17%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.85, for a total transaction of $1,258,031.25. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 945,434 shares in the company, valued at approximately $90,619,848.90. The trade was a 1.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,760 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.82, for a total transaction of $166,883.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 520,275 shares of the company's stock, valued at $49,332,475.50. The trade was a 0.34% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 123,295 shares of company stock valued at $11,801,762. 45.58% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Truist Financial increased their price target on Walmart from $107.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $115.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, June 9th. Finally, Barclays reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 28th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $106.50.

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.