World Equity Group Inc. Sells 34,185 Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

World Equity Group Inc. decreased its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 49.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 35,145 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 34,185 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up 0.9% of World Equity Group Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest position. World Equity Group Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $3,063,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC increased its holdings 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 during the period. Noble Wealth Management PBC bought a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Mizuho Bank Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $41,000. Finally, Nexus Investment Management ULC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 1st quarter worth $49,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 28,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.00, for a total value of $2,716,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 1,064,455 shares of the company's stock, valued at $103,252,135. This represents a 2.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 3,972,517 shares in the company, valued at $340,166,630.71. The trade was a 0.73% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 135,294 shares of company stock valued at $12,656,659. Company insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Up 1.1%

NYSE:WMT opened at $96.16 on Friday. 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 twelve month low of $66.55 and a twelve month high of $105.30. The company has a market cap of $767.41 billion, a PE ratio of 41.10, a P/E/G ratio of 4.69 and a beta of 0.69. The company's 50 day moving average is $96.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $94.15.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. Walmart had a net margin of 2.75% and a return on equity of 21.76%. The firm had revenue of $165.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $164.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.60 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on WMT shares. Erste Group Bank downgraded Walmart from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, March 17th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on shares of Walmart from $105.00 to $107.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. Raymond James Financial cut their price objective on shares of Walmart from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 11th. Finally, Barclays reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $106.50.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.