Willis Investment Counsel Lowers Holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Willis Investment Counsel cut its position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 21.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 302,195 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 83,000 shares during the period. Walmart comprises 1.8% of Willis Investment Counsel's portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding. Willis Investment Counsel's holdings in Walmart were worth $26,530,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC grew its position in Walmart by 1,007.7% in the 4th quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 262 shares during the last quarter. Noble Wealth Management PBC purchased a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Mizuho Bank Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Nexus Investment Management ULC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the first quarter valued at $49,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

WMT traded down $0.63 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $94.20. The company had a trading volume of 18,672,575 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,923,078. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $66.30 and a 12-month high of $105.30. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $95.54 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $94.04. The stock has a market cap of $753.69 billion, a PE ratio of 39.09, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.82.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued 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. The business had revenue of $165.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $164.53 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.87% and a net margin of 2.85%. The firm's revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.60 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect 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. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 12th were given a dividend of $0.235 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 9th. This represents a yield of 0.95%. Walmart's payout ratio is 40.17%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the topic of several analyst reports. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $100.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, February 24th. Wall Street Zen raised Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and set a $115.00 target price (up from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Finally, DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $117.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $106.50.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.63, for a total transaction of $2,493,888.12. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,972,517 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $340,166,630.71. The trade was a 0.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through 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 owns 888,309 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $76,350,158.55. The trade was a 0.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 137,534 shares of company stock valued at $12,833,664. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.