Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Trading Up 0.6% – Still a Buy?

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) shares were up 0.6% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $85.53 and last traded at $85.31. Approximately 7,655,430 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 52% from the average daily volume of 15,964,344 shares. The stock had previously closed at $84.76.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $115.00 price objective (up from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $105.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. KeyCorp lifted their price target on Walmart from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Tigress Financial upped their price objective on Walmart from $86.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Walmart from $97.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $103.17.

Walmart Stock Performance

The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $95.00 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $89.25. The company has a market capitalization of $678.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.17, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.23.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $178.83 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.87% and a net margin of 2.85%. As a group, research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.11%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 12th. Walmart’s payout ratio is 39.00%.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 17,600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.42, for a total transaction of $1,661,792.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 348,357 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,891,867.94. This trade represents a 4.81 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.35, for a total transaction of $2,689,601.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 3,785,702 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $349,609,579.70. This trade represents a 0.76 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 189,777 shares of company stock valued at $18,001,116 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 45.58% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 1,007.7% during the 4th quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 262 shares during the last quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Noble Wealth Management PBC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by 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.