Puzo Michael J Sells 1,302 Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Puzo Michael J lowered its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) by 9.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,000 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,302 shares during the quarter. Puzo Michael J’s holdings in Walmart were worth $1,084,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brophy Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the third quarter worth about $2,072,000. World Investment Advisors boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 7.6% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 271,515 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $24,532,000 after purchasing an additional 19,233 shares in the last quarter. Candriam S.C.A. increased its position in Walmart by 209.7% during the 4th quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 885,008 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $79,960,000 after buying an additional 599,257 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New Hampshire raised its stake in Walmart by 13.7% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New Hampshire now owns 47,949 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,332,000 after buying an additional 5,786 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Modera Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC now owns 203,150 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,355,000 after acquiring an additional 9,292 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.62, for a total transaction of $2,697,464.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,766,491 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $348,852,396.42. This represents a 0.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,600 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.99, for a total value 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 approximately $44,049,852.03. The trade was a 0.38 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 178,852 shares of company stock valued at $16,785,080. Corporate insiders own 45.58% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Trading Down 3.0 %

Shares of WMT stock opened at $87.10 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $94.25 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $89.50. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $58.56 and a 52-week high of $105.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $698.23 billion, a PE ratio of 36.14, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69. 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 released its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.02. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.87% and a net margin of 2.85%. The firm had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $178.83 billion. On average, analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 12th. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.08%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is 39.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on WMT shares. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Walmart from $97.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 28th. Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and set a $108.00 price target (up previously from $97.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $100.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $103.17.

About Walmart

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.