CSM Advisors LLC Cuts Position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

CSM Advisors LLC cut its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 2.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 196,495 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 4,920 shares during the period. Walmart makes up about 1.2% of CSM Advisors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding. CSM Advisors LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $17,751,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in Walmart by 14.9% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 6,235,504 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $503,517,000 after buying an additional 809,352 shares in the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at about $541,000. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. lifted its stake in Walmart by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 9,052 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $731,000 after buying an additional 364 shares in the last quarter. Aldebaran Financial Inc. lifted its stake in Walmart by 10.9% in the 3rd quarter. Aldebaran Financial Inc. now owns 22,250 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,797,000 after buying an additional 2,191 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tudor Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at about $504,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Stock Down 0.9 %

Shares of WMT traded down $0.82 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $95.02. The company's stock had a trading volume of 15,311,845 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,830,103. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $58.58 and a 12-month high of $105.30. The stock has a market cap of $761.76 billion, a PE ratio of 39.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The company's 50 day moving average is $90.58 and its 200 day moving average is $90.91.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $180.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $178.83 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.87% and a net margin of 2.85%. Equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.235 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 12th. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.99%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is presently 39.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on WMT shares. Raymond James decreased their target price on shares of Walmart from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Walmart from $100.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. UBS Group dropped their target price on Walmart from $112.00 to $110.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Mizuho started coverage on Walmart in a report on Friday, April 11th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $105.00 target price for the company. Finally, Evercore ISI dropped their target price on Walmart from $107.00 to $100.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $103.58.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, April 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.50, for a total transaction of $374,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 1,096,455 shares in the company, valued at approximately $102,518,542.50. This represents a 0.36 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,760 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.82, for a total transaction of $166,883.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 520,275 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $49,332,475.50. The trade was a 0.34 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 140,533 shares of company stock worth $13,241,740 in the last quarter. 45.58% of the stock is 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.