Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) Shares Acquired by Convergence Investment Partners LLC

Convergence Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Free Report) by 13.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 95,807 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 11,534 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for about 1.9% of Convergence Investment Partners LLC's holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Convergence Investment Partners LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $8,656,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in WMT. SC&H Financial Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Walmart by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. SC&H Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 10,232 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $924,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC now owns 5,584 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $505,000 after buying an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA now owns 2,879 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $260,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. Rooted Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Rooted Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 4,344 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $394,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. Finally, Hobart Private Capital LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Hobart Private Capital LLC now owns 6,926 shares of the retailer's stock worth $626,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WMT traded down $2.51 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $94.70. The stock had a trading volume of 34,962,340 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,919,441. The firm has a market cap of $760.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.86, a PEG ratio of 4.40 and a beta of 0.55. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $57.77 and a fifty-two week high of $105.30. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $95.62 and a 200-day moving average of $86.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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 net margin of 2.92% and a return on equity of 21.78%. The business had revenue of $180.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $178.83 billion. Equities research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.99%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 12th. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is currently 34.02%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 38,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.80, for a total transaction of $3,754,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 257,281 shares of the company's stock, valued at $25,419,362.80. This trade represents a 12.87 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,830 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.07, for a total transaction of $166,658.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 460,705 shares in the company, valued at $41,956,404.35. This represents a 0.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 176,777 shares of company stock valued at $16,570,112 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the subject of several research reports. Tigress Financial lifted their target price on Walmart from $86.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $115.00 price objective (up previously from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Walmart from $105.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Walmart from $98.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on Walmart from $98.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $102.43.

Walmart Company 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.