Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. Sells 231,900 Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. lessened its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) by 5.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,977,326 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 231,900 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up approximately 0.6% of Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C.’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest holding. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $359,351,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sirios Capital Management L P raised its holdings in Walmart by 26.7% in the 4th quarter. Sirios Capital Management L P now owns 11,248 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,016,000 after acquiring an additional 2,373 shares during the period. Beck Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Walmart by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Beck Capital Management LLC now owns 91,966 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,309,000 after purchasing an additional 317 shares during the last quarter. Symmetry Investments LP bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $19,941,000. MGO One Seven LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 18.9% during the 4th quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 83,392 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $7,535,000 after purchasing an additional 13,230 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alta Advisers Ltd boosted its stake in Walmart by 23.0% during the 4th quarter. Alta Advisers Ltd now owns 14,513 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,311,000 after purchasing an additional 2,713 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Stock Performance

Walmart stock opened at $94.91 on Wednesday. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $58.56 and a 1 year high of $105.30. The company’s 50-day moving average is $91.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $90.51. 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 cap of $760.88 billion, a PE ratio of 39.38, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.02. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.87% and a net margin of 2.85%. The business had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $178.83 billion. Equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 12th. Walmart’s payout ratio is 39.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on WMT shares. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $115.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Walmart from $97.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Walmart from $107.00 to $102.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Oppenheimer decreased their target price on Walmart from $110.00 to $95.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Three analysts have 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $103.58.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.62, for a total transaction of $2,697,464.88. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,766,491 shares in the company, valued at approximately $348,852,396.42. The trade was a 0.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,760 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.82, for a total value of $166,883.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 520,275 shares in the company, valued at $49,332,475.50. This trade represents a 0.34 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 178,782 shares of company stock worth $16,785,305. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.