Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) Shares Sold by Argent Trust Co

Argent Trust Co reduced its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 1.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 481,598 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 6,285 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for 1.8% of Argent Trust Co's holdings, making the stock its 7th largest position. Argent Trust Co's holdings in Walmart were worth $43,512,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC grew its holdings in 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 period. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Noble Wealth Management PBC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Stock Up 1.3 %

Shares of Walmart stock traded up $1.20 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $94.00. 12,859,840 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 17,640,915. The firm has a market cap of $753.58 billion, a PE ratio of 39.00, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69. 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 1 year low of $58.56 and a 1 year high of $105.30. The stock's fifty day moving average is $92.43 and its 200 day moving average is $89.95.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.02. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.87% and a net margin of 2.85%. The company had revenue of $180.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $178.83 billion. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 12th. Walmart's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.66, for a total value of $195,052.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 398,024 shares in the company, valued at approximately $35,288,807.84. This represents a 0.55 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,600 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.99, for a total value of $166,384.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 423,597 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $44,049,852.03. The trade was a 0.38 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 178,852 shares of company stock valued at $16,785,080. Insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on WMT. Raymond James decreased their price objective on shares of Walmart from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Citigroup reaffirmed a "positive" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $115.00 price objective (up from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Oppenheimer decreased 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. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on Walmart from $93.00 to $91.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Three 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.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price 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.