Bellecapital International Ltd. Has $21.28 Million Position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Bellecapital International Ltd. reduced its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) by 15.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 242,338 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 44,927 shares during the period. Walmart comprises 4.2% of Bellecapital International Ltd.’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Bellecapital International Ltd.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $21,275,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Whelan Financial lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Whelan Financial now owns 4,339 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $392,000 after buying an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in Walmart by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,937 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $538,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the period. Coyle Financial Counsel LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Coyle Financial Counsel LLC now owns 3,431 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $310,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Blackston Financial Advisory Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Blackston Financial Advisory Group LLC now owns 15,685 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,417,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Finally, Van Strum & Towne Inc. increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Van Strum & Towne Inc. now owns 6,849 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $619,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.95, for a total value of $343,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 888,309 shares in the company, valued at approximately $76,350,158.55. This trade represents a 0.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.63, for a total transaction of $2,493,888.12. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 3,972,517 shares in the company, valued at $340,166,630.71. The trade was a 0.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 137,534 shares of company stock valued at $12,833,664 over the last three months. 45.58% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Walmart Trading Down 1.7%

WMT opened at $95.70 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $95.31 and a 200 day moving average of $94.01. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $65.90 and a 12 month high of $105.30. The firm has a market cap of $765.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.71, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69.

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

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on WMT. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Raymond James lowered their price objective on Walmart from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their price target on Walmart from $105.00 to $107.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. 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’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $106.50.

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.