Simplicity Wealth LLC Sells 39,357 Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Simplicity Wealth LLC trimmed its position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 75.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 12,669 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 39,357 shares during the period. Simplicity Wealth LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $1,145,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. bought a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Noble Wealth Management PBC purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WMT traded down $1.78 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $85.66. 6,850,893 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 15,759,675. The stock has a market capitalization of $688.11 billion, a PE ratio of 35.54, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $58.56 and a 52 week high of $105.30. The company's 50 day moving average price is $96.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $88.61.

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Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. The firm had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $178.83 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.87% and a net margin of 2.85%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 12th will be paid a $0.235 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 12th. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.10%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore ISI dropped their price target on shares of Walmart from $107.00 to $100.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating and issued a $100.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, February 24th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "positive" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, DZ Bank raised Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $103.20.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.60, for a total transaction of $1,215,375.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 566,794 shares in the company, valued at $52,485,124.40. This trade represents a 2.26 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,600 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.99, for a total value of $166,384.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 423,597 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $44,049,852.03. This trade represents a 0.38 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 185,777 shares of company stock valued at $17,657,316. 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.