Aquatic Capital Management LLC Takes $28.63 Million Position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Aquatic Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 316,829 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $28,626,000. Walmart makes up approximately 0.8% of Aquatic Capital Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 17th largest position.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1,007.7% in the fourth quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 262 shares during the last quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. bought a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Noble Wealth Management PBC bought a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Price Performance

Walmart stock traded down $0.82 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $95.02. 15,311,845 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,830,103. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.82. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $90.58 and a 200-day moving average price of $90.91. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $58.58 and a one year high of $105.30. The stock has a market cap of $761.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.02. Walmart had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 21.87%. The company had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $178.83 billion. On average, equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.235 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 12th. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.99%. Walmart's payout ratio is 39.00%.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.95, for a total transaction of $2,823,571.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,558,247 shares of the company's stock, valued at $344,972,046.65. The trade was a 0.81 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.50, for a total value of $374,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 1,096,455 shares in the company, valued at approximately $102,518,542.50. This trade represents a 0.36 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 140,533 shares of company stock valued at $13,241,740 in the last quarter. 45.58% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on WMT shares. Oppenheimer lowered their target price on Walmart from $110.00 to $95.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Mizuho initiated coverage on Walmart in a research note on Friday, April 11th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $105.00 price objective on the stock. Raymond James cut their target price on shares of Walmart from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a "positive" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 20th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $103.58.

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.