Stack Financial Management Inc Lowers Position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Stack Financial Management Inc cut its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) by 1.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,083,760 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 15,900 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for approximately 9.0% of Stack Financial Management Inc’s portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. Stack Financial Management Inc’s holdings in Walmart were worth $97,918,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of WMT. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. grew its position in Walmart by 77.3% during the 3rd quarter. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. now owns 399 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Decker Retirement Planning Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on WMT shares. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on Walmart from $109.00 to $107.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $115.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday. DZ Bank downgraded Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $91.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Thursday, November 21st. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $115.00 price objective (up from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-nine have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $102.43.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 3,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.47, for a total transaction of $277,410.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 375,165 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $34,691,507.55. The trade was a 0.79 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,600 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.99, for a total transaction of $166,384.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 423,597 shares in the company, valued at $44,049,852.03. This trade represents a 0.38 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 194,377 shares of company stock valued at $18,231,904. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT stock opened at $93.64 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $95.60 and its 200-day moving average price is $86.89. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $58.18 and a one year high of $105.30. The company has a market capitalization of $752.21 billion, a PE ratio of 38.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.82.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.02. The business 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%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 12th will be given a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 12th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.00%.

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.