Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) Shares Sold by Wallington Asset Management LLC

Wallington Asset Management LLC decreased its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) by 5.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,836 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 179 shares during the quarter. Wallington Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $256,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Walmart during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 77.3% in the 3rd quarter. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. now owns 399 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Hoese & Co LLP bought a new position in Walmart during the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new position in Walmart during the third quarter worth about $36,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,830 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.07, for a total value of $166,658.10. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 460,705 shares in the company, valued at approximately $41,956,404.35. This trade represents a 0.40 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.79, for a total transaction of $2,411,175.96. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,843,929 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $318,238,881.91. This represents a 0.75 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 140,177 shares of company stock valued at $12,478,149. Insiders own 45.58% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

NYSE WMT opened at $92.02 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $91.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $81.27. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $53.44 and a 12-month high of $96.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $739.19 billion, a PE ratio of 37.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.41 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 19th. The retailer reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.05. Walmart had a net margin of 2.92% and a return on equity of 21.78%. The firm had revenue of $169.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $167.69 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.51 earnings per share. Walmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on WMT. Redburn Atlantic upgraded shares of Walmart to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 23rd. DZ Bank lowered shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $91.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $105.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday. Barclays lifted their target price on Walmart from $90.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on Walmart from $75.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-nine have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $94.49.

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.