Coleford Investment Management Ltd. Invests $32.49 Million in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Coleford Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 359,285 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $32,486,000. Walmart comprises 8.6% of Coleford Investment Management Ltd.'s holdings, making the stock its biggest position.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,737,355,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth about $2,306,627,000. Jennison Associates LLC grew its holdings in Walmart by 37.1% in the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 25,339,448 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,289,419,000 after purchasing an additional 6,860,189 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 14.0% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 32,020,800 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,893,079,000 after buying an additional 3,927,173 shares during the last quarter. Finally, APG Asset Management N.V. grew its position in Walmart by 1,707.6% during the fourth quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. now owns 3,718,058 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $324,410,000 after acquiring an additional 3,512,368 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the topic of several research reports. Roth Mkm restated a "buy" rating and issued a $108.00 price target (up previously from $97.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. Oppenheimer decreased their target price on Walmart from $110.00 to $95.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Walmart from $100.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Barclays reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Three equities research 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 company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $103.58.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.63, for a total transaction of $2,493,888.12. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,972,517 shares of the company's stock, valued at $340,166,630.71. The trade was a 0.73 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,760 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.82, for a total value of $166,883.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 520,275 shares in the company, valued at $49,332,475.50. This represents a 0.34 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 178,782 shares of company stock valued at $16,785,305 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

Walmart stock traded up $1.98 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $93.17. 21,350,174 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,819,973. The company has a market cap of $746.93 billion, a PE ratio of 38.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $58.56 and a one year high of $105.30. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $91.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $90.26.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted 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 analyst estimates of $178.83 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 21.87%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th will be issued a $0.235 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 12th. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.01%. Walmart's 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.