GQG Partners LLC Sells 4,399,402 Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

GQG Partners LLC lessened its position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 27.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 11,890,765 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 4,399,402 shares during the period. Walmart comprises 1.6% of GQG Partners LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest holding. GQG Partners LLC owned approximately 0.15% of Walmart worth $1,074,331,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. acquired a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Noble Wealth Management PBC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the third quarter valued at $43,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT traded down $2.80 on Tuesday, reaching $84.69. 27,873,027 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 15,966,685. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $95.00 and its 200-day moving average price is $89.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The firm has a market cap of $678.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.14, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.53. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $58.56 and a 12 month high of $105.30.

Remove Ads

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last released 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. 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 the consensus estimate of $178.83 billion. Equities analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 12th will be paid 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 1.11%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is currently 39.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on Walmart from $109.00 to $107.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Walmart from $100.00 to $108.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Walmart from $105.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Evercore ISI cut their target price on shares of Walmart from $107.00 to $100.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $115.00 target price (up previously from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Two 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. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $103.17.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.95, for a total value of $343,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 888,309 shares of the company's stock, valued at $76,350,158.55. This represents a 0.45 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.35, for a total value of $2,689,601.40. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,785,702 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $349,609,579.70. This trade represents a 0.76 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 189,777 shares of company stock valued at $18,001,116. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.