Clark Asset Management LLC Boosts Stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Clark Asset Management LLC grew its position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) by 11.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,480 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 362 shares during the period. Clark Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $305,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Horizon Financial Services LLC raised its position in Walmart by 1,007.7% in the fourth quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 262 shares during the period. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the first quarter valued at about $35,000. Mizuho Bank Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $41,000. Nexus Investment Management ULC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 1st quarter valued at about $49,000. Finally, WealthTrak Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $53,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.19, for a total value of $1,887,041.04. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,431,783 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $430,724,989.77. This trade represents a 0.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.44, for a total transaction of $216,568.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 628,318 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $61,851,623.92. This represents a 0.35% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 142,711 shares of company stock valued at $13,710,319. 45.58% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Walmart Stock Performance

WMT stock opened at $97.62 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $97.02 and a 200 day simple moving average of $94.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The company has a market capitalization of $779.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.72, a PEG ratio of 4.73 and a beta of 0.68. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $66.67 and a fifty-two week high of $105.30.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.76% and a net margin of 2.75%. The business had revenue of $165.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $164.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.60 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th were issued a dividend of $0.235 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.95%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is 40.17%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on WMT shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Walmart from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 17th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on shares of Walmart from $93.00 to $91.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $106.67.

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.