Ameritas Advisory Services LLC Has $8.99 Million Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Ameritas Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 6.3% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 80,659 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,780 shares during the quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $8,986,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Collier Financial acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Walmart by 57.4% in the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,335 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.63, for a total value of $166,381.05. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 636,843 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,369,743.09. This represents a 0.21% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total value of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. This trade represents a 3.95% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 167,195 shares of company stock worth $20,975,804. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reiterated its Walmart price target ahead of earnings, reinforcing a favorable analyst outlook for the retailer. Morgan Stanley reiterates Walmart stock price target pre-earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s planned layoffs/relocations of roughly 1,000 corporate workers may be viewed as a cost-cutting move that could improve operating efficiency, especially as the company consolidates technology and AI teams. Walmart Lays Off or Relocates About 1,000 Corporate Workers
• Neutral Sentiment: Other coverage this week noted pressure on Walmart’s margins from its grocery-heavy sales mix, although e-commerce, advertising and efficiency gains are helping offset some of that pressure. Walmart’s Category Mix Pressures Margins: More Pain Ahead?
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart also faces a new higher minimum wage requirement in parts of California, which could add labor cost pressure if passed through broadly across stores. Walmart braces for new $18 California law

Walmart Trading Up 2.2%

NASDAQ WMT opened at $130.35 on Wednesday. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $91.89 and a 52 week high of $134.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.04 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.57, a PEG ratio of 4.75 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.79. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $126.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $118.70.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The company had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.66 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.2475 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.13%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Argus upgraded Walmart to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 price objective on Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $145.00 price objective on Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price objective on Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $138.67.

About Walmart

Walmart is a multinational retail corporation that operates a broad portfolio of store formats and digital services. Its core business includes large-format supercenters, discount department stores, neighborhood grocery stores and a membership warehouse chain, Sam’s Club. The company’s merchandising mix covers groceries, household goods, apparel, electronics and pharmacy services, supplemented by private-label products and category-specific offerings. Walmart pairs its physical store network with online platforms and mobile applications to provide omnichannel shopping, fulfillment and delivery options for consumers and businesses.

The company was founded by Sam Walton, who opened the first store in Rogers, Arkansas in 1962; it is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.