Worth Financial Advisory Group LLC Boosts Stock Position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Worth Financial Advisory Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 72.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 13,496 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 5,651 shares during the period. Worth Financial Advisory Group LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $1,185,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 1,007.7% in the fourth quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 262 shares in the last quarter. Noble Wealth Management PBC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $37,000. Mizuho Bank Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $41,000. Finally, Nexus Investment Management ULC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the first quarter worth $49,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:WMT opened at $96.16 on Friday. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $96.39 and its 200-day moving average price is $94.15. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $66.55 and a 12-month high of $105.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $767.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.64 and a beta of 0.69. 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 (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $165.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $164.53 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.76% and a net margin of 2.75%. Walmart's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.60 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced 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 payout ratio is presently 40.17%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Erste Group Bank downgraded Walmart from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, March 17th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Walmart from $93.00 to $91.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Roth Mkm restated a "buy" rating and set a $108.00 price target (up previously from $97.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $106.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,760 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.77, for a total value of $166,795.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 650,977 shares of the company's stock, valued at $61,693,090.29. This trade represents a 0.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.63, for a total value of $2,493,888.12. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,972,517 shares in the company, valued at $340,166,630.71. The trade was a 0.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 135,294 shares of company stock valued at $12,656,659 over the last ninety days. 45.58% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.

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.