Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) Stake Lifted by West Branch Capital LLC

West Branch Capital LLC lifted its stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 4.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 73,239 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 3,324 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for approximately 2.1% of West Branch Capital LLC's holdings, making the stock its 11th largest position. West Branch Capital LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $6,430,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $5,737,355,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $2,306,627,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 9,896.9% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,939,728 shares of the retailer's stock worth $697,029,000 after buying an additional 7,860,306 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in shares of 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 worth $2,893,079,000 after purchasing an additional 3,927,173 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 8.9% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 43,641,936 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,943,049,000 after purchasing an additional 3,550,037 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WMT traded down $0.63 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $94.20. 18,672,575 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 17,923,098. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $66.30 and a 1-year high of $105.30. The firm has a market cap of $751.76 billion, a price-to-earnings 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 stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $95.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $94.06.

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, sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on WMT shares. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Walmart from $112.00 to $110.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on Walmart from $93.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Roth Mkm restated a "buy" rating and issued a $108.00 price objective (up previously from $97.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 21st. Robert W. Baird increased 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 reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set 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 issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $106.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.19, for a total transaction of $2,743,189.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 4,480,347 shares in the company, valued at $422,003,883.93. This trade represents a 0.65% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Monday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.00, for a total transaction of $217,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 630,518 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $62,421,282. This trade represents a 0.35% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 137,534 shares of company stock valued at $12,833,664. Corporate insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

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.