Hancock Whitney Corp Acquires 17,327 Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Hancock Whitney Corp increased its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) by 11.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 172,960 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 17,327 shares during the quarter. Hancock Whitney Corp’s holdings in Walmart were worth $15,627,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $5,737,355,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth about $2,306,627,000. Jennison Associates LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 37.1% in the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 25,339,448 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,289,419,000 after purchasing an additional 6,860,189 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in Walmart by 14.0% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 32,020,800 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,893,079,000 after acquiring an additional 3,927,173 shares in the last quarter. Finally, APG Asset Management N.V. raised its position in shares of Walmart by 1,707.6% in the 4th quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. now owns 3,718,058 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $324,410,000 after acquiring an additional 3,512,368 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WMT opened at $95.01 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.82. The business has a fifty day moving average of $90.91 and a 200-day moving average of $90.54. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $58.58 and a twelve month high of $105.30. The firm has a market cap of $761.68 billion, a PE ratio of 39.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $178.83 billion. On average, equities research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 12th will be issued a $0.235 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 12th. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.99%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Raymond James cut their price objective on Walmart from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 11th. Piper Sandler upped their price target on Walmart from $93.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of Walmart from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Mizuho initiated coverage on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, April 11th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $105.00 price target on the stock. Finally, DZ Bank raised shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $110.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $103.58.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,760 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.82, for a total transaction of $166,883.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 520,275 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,332,475.50. The trade was a 0.34 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.95, for a total transaction of $343,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 888,309 shares in the company, valued at $76,350,158.55. The trade was a 0.45 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 140,533 shares of company stock valued at $13,241,740 over the last 90 days. 45.58% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.