Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Shares Down 0.8%

Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) were down 0.8% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $80.36 and last traded at $80.64. Approximately 4,269,884 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 75% from the average daily volume of 17,385,559 shares. The stock had previously closed at $81.27.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Truist Financial upgraded shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $76.00 to $89.00 in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th. Tigress Financial lifted their price objective on Walmart from $75.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Walmart from $75.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, August 16th. StockNews.com raised Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 16th. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Walmart from $75.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-eight have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $81.62.

Walmart Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $74.86 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $67.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $646.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.51.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 15th. The retailer reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.65 by $0.02. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.72% and a net margin of 2.34%. The firm had revenue of $169.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $168.56 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.61 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, major shareholder S Robson Walton sold 4,057,369 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.20, for a total value of $313,228,886.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 611,988,318 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $47,245,498,149.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.04, for a total transaction of $1,063,650.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 606,165 shares in the company, valued at $49,123,611.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, major shareholder S Robson Walton sold 4,057,369 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.20, for a total transaction of $313,228,886.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 611,988,318 shares in the company, valued at $47,245,498,149.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 12,334,670 shares of company stock valued at $958,025,027. 45.58% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in shares of Walmart by 3.7% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 13,185 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,079,000 after buying an additional 474 shares during the period. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 291,016 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $45,879,000 after purchasing an additional 12,362 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in Walmart by 27.5% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,550,851 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $244,492,000 after buying an additional 334,100 shares during the period. Gordian Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $232,000. Finally, Amussen Hunsaker Associates LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Amussen Hunsaker Associates LLC now owns 15,979 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,519,000 after buying an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.