On April 28, 2023 at 13:37:38 ET an unusually large $251.12K block of Call contracts in Walmart (WMT) was sold, with a strike price of $150.00 / share, expiring in 21 day(s) (on May 19, 2023). Fintel tracks all large options trades, and the premium spent on this trade was 3.34 sigmas above the mean, placing it in the 99.99th percentile of all recent large trades made in WMT options.

This trade was first picked up on Fintel’s real time Options Flow tool, where unusual option trades are highlighted.

What is the Fund Sentiment?

There are 3964 funds or institutions reporting positions in Walmart. This is a decrease of 118 owner(s) or 2.89% in the last quarter. Average portfolio weight of all funds dedicated to WMT is 0.55%, a decrease of 21.42%. Total shares owned by institutions decreased in the last three months by 37.97% to 1,017,875K shares. The put/call ratio of WMT is 1.02, indicating a bearish outlook.

Analyst Price Forecast Suggests 10.49% Upside

As of April 24, 2023, the average one-year price target for Walmart is $167.27. The forecasts range from a low of $145.44 to a high of $189.00. The average price target represents an increase of 10.49% from its latest reported closing price of $151.38.

See our leaderboard of companies with the largest price target upside.

The projected annual revenue for Walmart is $629,089MM, an increase of 2.91%. The projected annual non-GAAP EPS is $6.61.

What are Other Shareholders Doing?

RBCGX – Reynolds Blue Chip Growth Fund holds 12K shares representing 0.00% ownership of the company. In it’s prior filing, the firm reported owning 11K shares, representing an increase of 10.04%. The firm increased its portfolio allocation in WMT by 24.49% over the last quarter.

Summit Financial Strategies holds 8K shares representing 0.00% ownership of the company. In it’s prior filing, the firm reported owning 9K shares, representing a decrease of 8.70%. The firm increased its portfolio allocation in WMT by 25.30% over the last quarter.

QRPNX – AQR Alternative Risk Premia Fund Class N holds 4K shares representing 0.00% ownership of the company. In it’s prior filing, the firm reported owning -1K shares, representing an increase of 131.30%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in WMT by 413.79% over the last quarter.

Putnam Funds Trust – Putnam Multi-cap Core Fund holds 279K shares representing 0.01% ownership of the company. In it’s prior filing, the firm reported owning 295K shares, representing a decrease of 5.75%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in WMT by 7.54% over the last quarter.

JIEQX – International Equity Index Trust NAV holds 189K shares representing 0.01% ownership of the company. No change in the last quarter.

Walmart Declares $0.57 Dividend

On February 21, 2023 the company declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.57 per share ($2.28 annualized). Shareholders of record as of March 17, 2023 received the payment on April 3, 2023. Previously, the company paid $0.56 per share.

At the current share price of $151.38 / share, the stock’s dividend yield is 1.51%. Looking back five years and taking a sample every week, the average dividend yield has been 1.78%, the lowest has been 1.41%, and the highest has been 2.51%. The standard deviation of yields is 0.28 (n=237).

The current dividend yield is 0.98 standard deviations below the historical average.

Additionally, the company’s dividend payout ratio is 0.53. The payout ratio tells us how much of a company’s income is paid out in dividends. A payout ratio of one (1.0) means 100% of the company’s income is paid in a dividend. A payout ratio greater than one means the company is dipping into savings in order to maintain its dividend – not a healthy situation. Companies with few growth prospects are expected to pay out most of their income in dividends, which typically means a payout ratio between 0.5 and 1.0. Companies with good growth prospects are expected to retain some earnings in order to invest in those growth prospects, which translates to a payout ratio of zero to 0.5.

The company’s 3-Year dividend growth rate is 0.06%, demonstrating that it has increased its dividend over time.

Walmart Background Information
(This description is provided by the company.)

Walmart Inc. helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, over 265 million customers and members visit approximately 11,400 stores under 55 banners in 26 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2020 revenue of $524 billion, Walmart employs over 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity.

See all Walmart regulatory filings.

This article originally appeared on Fintel

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