Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) Shares Sold by Meridian Investment Counsel Inc.

Meridian Investment Counsel Inc. lessened its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 7.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 53,948 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 4,625 shares during the period. Walmart makes up 1.5% of Meridian Investment Counsel Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Meridian Investment Counsel Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $4,874,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 14.9% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 6,235,504 shares of the retailer's stock worth $503,517,000 after acquiring an additional 809,352 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in Walmart during the third quarter worth $270,000. PDT Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the third quarter worth $538,000. Circle Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 7.3% during the third quarter. Circle Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,748 shares of the retailer's stock worth $464,000 after buying an additional 391 shares during the period. Finally, Tradition Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 2.6% in the third quarter. Tradition Wealth Management LLC now owns 23,792 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,921,000 after buying an additional 608 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT stock traded up $2.79 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $87.94. 30,255,294 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 16,963,820. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $94.54 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $89.46. 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 Inc. has a 12-month low of $58.56 and a 12-month high of $105.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $704.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.49, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.53.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $178.83 billion. On average, analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.07%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 12th. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is currently 39.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on WMT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Walmart from $97.00 to $112.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Citigroup reissued a "positive" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Walmart from $109.00 to $107.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 21st. Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of Walmart from $93.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Roth Mkm restated a "buy" rating and issued a $108.00 price target (up previously from $97.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Two 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $103.17.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 3,766,491 shares of the company's stock, valued at $348,852,396.42. This trade represents a 0.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,830 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.07, for a total value of $166,658.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 460,705 shares in the company, valued at $41,956,404.35. This trade represents a 0.40 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 176,652 shares of company stock valued at $16,590,028. Insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

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.