Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) Shares Sold by Johnson Financial Group Inc.

Johnson Financial Group Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 5.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 79,684 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 4,165 shares during the period. Johnson Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $7,822,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $44,985,000. Virtus ETF Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,256,000. Gilder Gagnon Howe & Co. LLC lifted its position in Walmart by 21.9% during the fourth quarter. Gilder Gagnon Howe & Co. LLC now owns 67,179 shares of the retailer's stock worth $6,070,000 after buying an additional 12,059 shares in the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Walmart by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 139,524 shares of the retailer's stock worth $12,606,000 after buying an additional 2,506 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UP Strategic Wealth Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 14.9% during the fourth quarter. UP Strategic Wealth Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,508 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,040,000 after buying an additional 1,493 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WMT traded up $0.82 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $96.86. 7,743,706 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 21,243,861. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $58.58 and a 1-year high of $105.30. The firm has a market cap of $774.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.19, 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 $90.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $91.05.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.02. Walmart had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 21.87%. The company had revenue of $180.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $178.83 billion. 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th will be given a dividend of $0.235 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 12th. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.97%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 38,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.80, for a total transaction of $3,754,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 257,281 shares in the company, valued at $25,419,362.80. This trade represents a 12.87 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.95, for a total transaction of $2,823,571.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 3,558,247 shares in the company, valued at $344,972,046.65. This represents a 0.81 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 169,657 shares of company stock worth $15,984,929 in the last quarter. 45.58% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently commented on WMT shares. Erste Group Bank lowered Walmart from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, March 17th. Mizuho started coverage on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, April 11th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $105.00 price objective for the company. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Walmart from $98.00 to $111.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Barclays reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price target on shares of Walmart from $107.00 to $100.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Three equities research 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 company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $103.58.

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.