Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Shares Down 0% – Here’s Why

by · The Markets Daily

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT – Get Free Report)’s share price was down 0% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $82.52 and last traded at $83.01. Approximately 2,044,142 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 88% from the average daily volume of 16,955,697 shares. The stock had previously closed at $83.04.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on WMT shares. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on Walmart from $82.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Melius Research began coverage on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, September 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $95.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 16th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Walmart from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on Walmart from $75.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, September 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-nine have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $83.51.

Read Our Latest Analysis on WMT

Walmart Price Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average is $78.91 and its 200-day moving average is $70.17. The firm has a market cap of $666.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.11 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The retailer reported $0.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.02. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.72% and a net margin of 2.34%. The company had revenue of $169.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $168.56 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.61 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.64, for a total value 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. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.19, for a total value of $207,570.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 387,165 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $26,787,946.35. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.64, for a total value of $2,348,559.36. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,873,053 shares in the company, valued at $312,322,993.92. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 12,295,088 shares of company stock valued at $955,284,831 in the last quarter. Insiders own 45.58% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. EntryPoint Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the first quarter worth $25,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 138.3% in the 2nd quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 429 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 249 shares in the last quarter. Cultivar Capital Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 253.0% during the first quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 526 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 377 shares during the period. Finally, Kozak & Associates Inc. increased its holdings in Walmart by 216.4% in the first quarter. Kozak & Associates Inc. now owns 503 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 344 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

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