MetLife Investment Management LLC Increases Stock Position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 1.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,148,910 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 19,512 shares during the period. Walmart comprises 0.6% of MetLife Investment Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. MetLife Investment Management LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $103,804,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC boosted 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 valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 262 shares during the period. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Noble Wealth Management PBC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler upped their target price on shares of Walmart from $93.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Walmart from $100.00 to $108.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $115.00 price target (up previously from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Oppenheimer lowered their target price on Walmart from $110.00 to $95.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Finally, Roth Mkm reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $108.00 price target (up from $97.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $103.58.

Walmart Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of WMT stock traded down $0.20 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $94.65. 10,931,951 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 17,812,611. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $91.09 and a 200 day moving average of $90.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $58.56 and a 1 year high of $105.30. The firm has a market cap of $758.79 billion, a PE ratio of 39.27, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $178.83 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 21.87%. Analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current 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. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.99%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 12th. Walmart's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.00%.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, 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 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 approximately $340,166,630.71. This represents a 0.73 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,760 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.82, for a total value of $166,883.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 520,275 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,332,475.50. This represents a 0.34 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 178,782 shares of company stock worth $16,785,305. Company insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

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.