Private Harbour Investment Management & Counsel LLC Trims Stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Private Harbour Investment Management & Counsel LLC decreased its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) by 4.6% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 25,053 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,200 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for 2.5% of Private Harbour Investment Management & Counsel LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Private Harbour Investment Management & Counsel LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $2,264,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Noble Wealth Management PBC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Down 3.2 %

WMT stock opened at $84.69 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $95.00 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $89.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.23. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $58.56 and a 1-year high of $105.30. The firm has a market cap of $678.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.14, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.53.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last issued its earnings results 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $178.83 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 21.87%. Research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 12th will be given a $0.235 dividend. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.11%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 12th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is presently 39.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Piper Sandler upped their price target on shares of Walmart from $93.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 28th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on Walmart from $99.00 to $93.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 20th. DZ Bank upgraded Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $110.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Two research 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $103.17.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.95, for a total value of $2,823,571.80. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 3,558,247 shares in the company, valued at approximately $344,972,046.65. This trade represents a 0.81 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.95, for a total value of $343,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 189,777 shares of company stock worth $18,001,116. 45.58% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Walmart

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.