Canopy Partners LLC Boosts Holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Canopy Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) by 4.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 33,336 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,503 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up approximately 1.1% of Canopy Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 19th biggest position. Canopy Partners LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $3,012,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $5,737,355,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $2,306,627,000. Jennison Associates LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 37.1% in the 4th quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 25,339,448 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,289,419,000 after acquiring an additional 6,860,189 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in Walmart by 14.0% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 32,020,800 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,893,079,000 after purchasing an additional 3,927,173 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Walmart by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 90,635,238 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,167,186,000 after purchasing an additional 3,017,829 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Down 4.8 %

Walmart stock opened at $83.09 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $94.01 and its 200 day moving average price is $89.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The firm has a market cap of $666.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $58.56 and a 52 week high of $105.30.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.02. Walmart had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 21.87%. The firm had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $178.83 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.13%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 12th. Walmart’s payout ratio is currently 39.00%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.66, for a total value of $195,052.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 398,024 shares in the company, valued at $35,288,807.84. The trade was a 0.55 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.63, for a total transaction of $2,493,888.12. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,972,517 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $340,166,630.71. The trade was a 0.73 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 178,852 shares of company stock worth $16,785,080 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 45.58% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on WMT. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on Walmart from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of Walmart from $93.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “positive” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. Two equities 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 company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $103.17.

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.