Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Has $94.42 Million Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. reduced its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 18.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,045,093 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 237,570 shares during the period. Epoch Investment Partners Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $94,424,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 1,007.7% in the 4th 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. acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Noble Wealth Management PBC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $93.17 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $58.56 and a one year high of $105.30. The company has a market cap of $746.93 billion, a PE ratio of 38.66, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $91.52 and a 200-day moving average of $90.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.23.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced 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. 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, equities research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Shareholders 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 yield of 1.01%. Walmart's payout ratio is 39.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.96, for a total value of $1,220,100.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 568,626 shares in the company, valued at $52,859,472.96. This represents a 2.26 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 38,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.80, for a total value of $3,754,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 257,281 shares of the company's stock, valued at $25,419,362.80. This trade represents a 12.87 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 178,782 shares of company stock valued at $16,785,305. Corporate insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and set a $115.00 price objective (up previously from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. StockNews.com downgraded Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on shares of Walmart from $93.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Barclays restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer cut their price target on shares of Walmart from $110.00 to $95.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company 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.

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