JT Stratford LLC Boosts Holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

JT Stratford LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) by 2.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 54,433 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,384 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for 0.8% of JT Stratford LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. JT Stratford LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $4,918,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $5,737,355,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $2,306,627,000. Jennison Associates LLC lifted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 6,860,189 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 3,927,173 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 8.9% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 43,641,936 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,943,049,000 after buying an additional 3,550,037 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 1st. The shares were 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 owns 398,024 shares in the company, valued at $35,288,807.84. This represents a 0.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,760 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.82, for a total transaction of $166,883.20. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 520,275 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,332,475.50. This trade represents a 0.34% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 166,035 shares of company stock worth $15,548,082. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the topic of several research reports. Evercore ISI decreased their price target on shares of Walmart from $107.00 to $100.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Walmart from $112.00 to $110.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $115.00 target price (up from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $104.94.

Walmart Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $96.48 on Thursday. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $64.16 and a 52-week high of $105.30. The company has a 50 day moving average of $91.95 and a 200 day moving average of $92.72. 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 company has a market capitalization of $771.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.03, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.70.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $165.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $164.53 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 21.87%. The company’s revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.60 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th will be given a dividend of $0.235 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.95%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.17%.

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.