Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Stock Price Up 1.3% – Still a Buy?

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)’s stock price traded up 1.3% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $88.89 and last traded at $88.94. 7,758,505 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 51% from the average session volume of 15,709,095 shares. The stock had previously closed at $87.82.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on WMT shares. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Walmart from $93.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Walmart from $105.00 to $111.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “positive” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $100.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on Walmart from $98.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $103.20.

Walmart Trading Down 0.4 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $702.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.30, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.53. The business’s 50 day moving average is $96.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $88.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.02. Walmart had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 21.87%. The company had revenue of $180.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $178.83 billion. Analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th will be issued a $0.235 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 12th. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.07%. Walmart’s payout ratio is currently 39.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.60, for a total value of $1,215,375.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 566,794 shares in the company, valued at $52,485,124.40. The trade was a 2.26 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,830 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.07, for a total value of $166,658.10. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 460,705 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $41,956,404.35. This represents a 0.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 185,777 shares of company stock worth $17,657,316. Corporate insiders own 45.58% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Anchor Pointe Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $535,000. Elite Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $327,000. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $566,000. TFR Capital LLC. acquired a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $338,000. Finally, Plotkin Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth about $218,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.