Westwood Holdings Group Inc. Has $79.47 Million Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Key Points

• Westwood Holdings Group Inc. reduced its holdings in Walmart by 12.9% during the first quarter, now owning 905,176 shares valued at approximately $79.47 million.
• Walmart reported earnings of $0.61 per share for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations and showing a 2.5% year-over-year revenue increase to $165.61 billion.
• Analysts have varying ratings for Walmart stock, with an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $106.67.

Westwood Holdings Group Inc. lessened its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 12.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 905,176 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 133,973 shares during the quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $79,465,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bear Mountain Capital Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 98.2% in the 1st quarter. Bear Mountain Capital Inc. now owns 337 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at $35,000. Lipe & Dalton boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 95.2% in the 1st quarter. Lipe & Dalton now owns 410 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Nexus Investment Management ULC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at $49,000. Finally, Vega Investment Solutions acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $54,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

WMT stock opened at $99.49 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $96.92 and a 200-day moving average price of $95.13. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $66.67 and a 1-year high of $105.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The firm has a market cap of $793.95 billion, a PE ratio of 42.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.74 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $165.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $164.53 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.60 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WMT has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Raymond James Financial reduced their target price on Walmart from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 11th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 5th. UBS Group dropped their price target on Walmart from $112.00 to $110.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price target on Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $106.67.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.14, for a total transaction of $380,560.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 1,056,455 shares of the company's stock, valued at $100,511,128.70. This trade represents a 0.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.30, for a total value of $216,260.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 626,118 shares of the company's stock, valued at $61,547,399.40. This represents a 0.35% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 146,112 shares of company stock valued at $14,080,073 over the last ninety days. 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.

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