Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) Shares Sold by Saratoga Research & Investment Management

Saratoga Research & Investment Management reduced its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 750,923 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 33,824 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for about 2.3% of Saratoga Research & Investment Management’s portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Saratoga Research & Investment Management’s holdings in Walmart were worth $50,845,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. EntryPoint Capital LLC acquired a new position in Walmart during the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. Northwest Capital Management Inc increased its stake in Walmart by 199.3% during the 1st quarter. Northwest Capital Management Inc now owns 440 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 293 shares during the period. TruNorth Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 138.3% during the 2nd quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 429 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 249 shares in the last quarter. Cultivar Capital Inc. purchased a new position in Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Able Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Trading Down 0.2 %

NYSE:WMT opened at $79.78 on Monday. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $49.85 and a 12 month high of $81.60. The business’s 50-day moving average is $74.44 and its two-hundred day moving average is $67.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $641.29 billion, a PE ratio of 34.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.51.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The retailer reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.02. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.72% and a net margin of 2.34%. The firm had revenue of $169.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $168.56 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.61 EPS. Walmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 3,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.19, for a total transaction of $207,570.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 387,165 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,787,946.35. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 2,063 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.76, for a total transaction of $166,607.88. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 459,558 shares in the company, valued at $37,113,904.08. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.19, for a total value of $207,570.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 387,165 shares in the company, valued at $26,787,946.35. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 12,292,421 shares of company stock worth $954,612,818. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $80.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 16th. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of Walmart from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Walmart from $81.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. Barclays increased their price objective on Walmart from $66.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, August 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Walmart from $71.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-eight have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $80.96.

Walmart 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.