Tredje AP fonden Purchases 160,649 Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Tredje AP fonden grew its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) by 8.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,020,189 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 160,649 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up about 1.6% of Tredje AP fonden’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding. Tredje AP fonden’s holdings in Walmart were worth $182,524,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in WMT. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Noble Wealth Management PBC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Trading Down 2.7 %

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $85.07 on Thursday. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $58.56 and a 12-month high of $105.30. The stock has a market cap of $683.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.30, a P/E/G 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. The business’s 50 day moving average is $95.96 and its 200-day moving average is $88.59.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last announced 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. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.87% and a net margin of 2.85%. The company 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 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on WMT. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Walmart from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Tigress Financial boosted their target price on shares of Walmart from $86.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. KeyCorp lifted their price target on Walmart from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Citigroup reissued a “positive” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 20th. Finally, Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $103.20.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.60, for a total value of $1,215,375.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 566,794 shares in the company, valued at approximately $52,485,124.40. This represents a 2.26 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,830 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.07, for a total value of $166,658.10. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 460,705 shares in the company, valued at approximately $41,956,404.35. This trade represents a 0.40 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 185,777 shares of company stock worth $17,657,316. Company 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.