Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co Reduces Walmart Stake
Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co decreased its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) by 6.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its latest disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 274,226 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 19,781 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for approximately 0.5% of Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co’s portfolio, making it the company’s 19th largest holding.
Institutional Investors’ Recent Moves
Several other institutional investors have recently adjusted their stakes in Walmart. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings by 1.7% during the fourth quarter, now owning 5,937 shares valued at $538,000. Coyle Financial Counsel LLC raised its stake by 3.1%, owning 3,431 shares worth $310,000. SC&H Financial Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings by 1.0%, now owning 10,232 shares worth $924,000. Blackston Financial Advisory Group LLC boosted its position by 0.7%, owning 15,685 shares worth $1,417,000. Van Strum & Towne Inc. grew its holdings by 1.6%, now owning 6,849 shares valued at $619,000.
Analyst Ratings and Price Targets
Several analysts recently issued reports on Walmart. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating. Raymond James decreased their price target from $115.00 to $105.00 and maintained an “outperform” rating. DZ Bank upgraded Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating with a $110.00 price objective. StockNews.com downgraded Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating. Oppenheimer dropped their price target from $110.00 to $95.00 while maintaining an “outperform” rating. Currently, three analysts have rated the stock as “hold,” thirty have given a “buy” rating, and one has issued a “strong buy” rating, resulting in an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $103.58.
Insider Transactions
Walmart executives have been selling shares recently. EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,600 shares on February 18th at an average price of $103.99. EVP John D. Rainey sold 38,000 shares on February 3rd at an average price of $98.80. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 169,657 shares worth $15,984,929. Insiders own 45.58% of the company’s stock.
Company Performance
Walmart Inc. has a market capitalization of $779.57 billion and a PE ratio of 40.43. The company reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.64. Walmart had revenue of $180.55 billion for the quarter, exceeding analysts’ expectations of $178.83 billion. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, with shareholders of record on December 12th receiving a $0.235 dividend.
