Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) Shares Sold by Fairview Capital Investment Management LLC

Fairview Capital Investment Management LLC decreased its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 7.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 607,653 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 46,683 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for about 2.8% of Fairview Capital Investment Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest position. Fairview Capital Investment Management LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $54,901,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. World Investment Advisors grew its stake in Walmart by 7.6% during the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 271,515 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $24,532,000 after acquiring an additional 19,233 shares in the last quarter. Candriam S.C.A. grew its position in Walmart by 209.7% during the fourth quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 885,008 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $79,960,000 after purchasing an additional 599,257 shares in the last quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC now owns 203,150 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $18,355,000 after buying an additional 9,292 shares during the period. Cushing Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,124,000. Finally, Campbell Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $359,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Trading Down 1.4 %

NYSE WMT opened at $97.42 on Friday. 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 stock's 50-day moving average is $90.62 and its 200-day moving average is $91.81. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $59.44 and a one year high of $105.30. The firm has a market cap of $779.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.42, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.70.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share 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%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 27th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 12th will be given a dividend of $0.235 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 9th. This represents a yield of 0.95%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.00%.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 17,600 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.42, for a total value of $1,661,792.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 348,357 shares in the company, valued at $32,891,867.94. This trade represents a 4.81 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.37, for a total transaction of $214,214.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 632,718 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $61,607,751.66. This trade represents a 0.35 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 133,857 shares of company stock worth $12,444,743 in the last three months. Insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on WMT shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Walmart from $97.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. StockNews.com raised shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday. Barclays reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $115.00 price target (up previously from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $103.94.

Walmart 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.

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