By otakuyassine3@gmail.com 
Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT – Get Free Report)’s share price was up 0.3% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $94.57 and last traded at $93.87. 4,818,620 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 71% from the average daily volume of 16,903,357 shares. The stock had previously closed at $93.55.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on WMT shares. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Walmart from $80.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, November 18th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Walmart from $89.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Walmart from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on Walmart from $94.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 3rd. Finally, Melius Research assumed coverage on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, September 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $95.00 target price for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $93.69.
View Our Latest Analysis on WMT
Walmart Trading Down 1.2 %
The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $87.51 and a 200-day moving average price of $77.93. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $741.00 billion, a PE ratio of 37.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.47 and a beta of 0.54.
Walmart (NYSE:WMT – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 19th. The retailer reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.05. Walmart had a net margin of 2.92% and a return on equity of 21.78%. The firm had revenue of $169.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $167.69 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.51 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 2,065 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.69, for a total value of $166,624.85. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 457,493 shares in the company, valued at approximately $36,915,110.17. This trade represents a 0.45 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.64, for a total transaction of $2,348,559.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,873,053 shares in the company, valued at approximately $312,322,993.92. The trade was a 0.75 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 143,412 shares of company stock valued at $12,228,259. 45.58% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Walmart by 0.5% in the third quarter. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 23,720 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,915,000 after acquiring an additional 118 shares in the last quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 43,549 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,591,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares in the last quarter. 3Chopt Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in Walmart by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. 3Chopt Investment Partners LLC now owns 32,633 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,635,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. CAP Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 2.1% during the third quarter. CAP Partners LLC now owns 6,054 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $489,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Investment Advisory Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Investment Advisory Group LLC now owns 6,182 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $499,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.
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.
Further Reading
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