Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Has $646.45 Million Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) by 8.9% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 7,121,063 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 579,868 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $646,450,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of WMT. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. bought a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Noble Wealth Management PBC bought a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $37,000. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the third quarter valued at $43,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of WMT opened at $85.13 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 stock has a market capitalization of $682.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.32, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.53. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $58.56 and a 52 week high of $105.30. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $94.87 and a 200-day moving average of $89.22.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $178.83 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th will be given a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.10%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 12th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on shares of Walmart from $93.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Citigroup restated a “positive” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 20th. DZ Bank upgraded Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $110.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and set a $108.00 price target (up from $97.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Erste Group Bank lowered Walmart from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $103.17.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,830 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 460,705 shares in the company, valued at approximately $41,956,404.35. The trade was a 0.40 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.95, for a total transaction of $343,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 888,309 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $76,350,158.55. This trade represents a 0.45 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 147,528 shares of company stock valued at $14,096,140. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.