Horan Capital Advisors LLC. Reduces Holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Horan Capital Advisors LLC. decreased its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) by 10.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 68,953 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 7,696 shares during the period. Walmart makes up approximately 2.1% of Horan Capital Advisors LLC.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Horan Capital Advisors LLC.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $6,230,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Hara Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE:WMT opened at $97.49 on Tuesday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $96.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $87.88. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The company has a market capitalization of $783.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.45, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.55. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $58.40 and a 12-month high of $105.30.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last issued 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. The firm had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $178.83 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.87% and a net margin of 2.85%. Sell-side analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 12th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on WMT. Truist Financial increased their target price on Walmart from $98.00 to $111.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Bank of America increased their target price on Walmart from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Walmart from $93.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $115.00 target price (up previously from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Walmart from $97.00 to $112.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $103.07.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 38,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.80, for a total value of $3,754,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 257,281 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,419,362.80. This trade represents a 12.87 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,830 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 460,705 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $41,956,404.35. The trade was a 0.40 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 185,777 shares of company stock worth $17,657,316 in the last three months. 45.58% of the stock is 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.