Teza Capital Management LLC Takes Position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Teza Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 32,863 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $2,969,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in WMT. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $5,737,355,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $2,306,627,000. Jennison Associates LLC grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 37.1% in the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 25,339,448 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,289,419,000 after buying an additional 6,860,189 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in Walmart by 14.0% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 32,020,800 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,893,079,000 after purchasing an additional 3,927,173 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in Walmart by 8.9% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 43,641,936 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,943,049,000 after purchasing an additional 3,550,037 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Trading Up 2.0%

NYSE WMT opened at $98.26 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $63.87 and a twelve month high of $105.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $786.18 billion, a PE ratio of 40.77, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.70. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $91.19 and its 200 day moving average is $92.48.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $165.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $164.53 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.87% and a net margin of 2.85%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.60 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th will be given a dividend of $0.235 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.95%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.37, for a total transaction of $214,214.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 632,718 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $61,607,751.66. The trade was a 0.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 27th. The stock was 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 directly owns 3,558,247 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $344,972,046.65. This trade represents a 0.81% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 133,857 shares of company stock worth $12,444,743 over the last three months. 45.58% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. StockNews.com raised Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $108.00 price target (up previously from $97.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 21st. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $115.00 price target (up previously from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 13th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $117.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Walmart from $100.00 to $108.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $104.94.

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.