Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Stock Price Down 0.2% - Here's What Happened

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) dropped 0.2% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $91.63 and last traded at $93.22. Approximately 9,019,381 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 47% from the average daily volume of 16,915,350 shares. The stock had previously closed at $93.40.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Walmart from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Walmart from $80.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Bank of America upped their price objective on Walmart from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Citigroup raised their target price on Walmart from $75.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, September 27th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Walmart from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $93.69.

Walmart Price Performance

The company has a market cap 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. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $87.27 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $77.75. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 19th. The retailer reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.53 by $0.05. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.78% and a net margin of 2.92%. The firm had revenue of $169.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $167.69 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.51 earnings per share. Walmart's revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.64, for a total value of $2,348,559.36. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 3,873,053 shares of the company's stock, valued at $312,322,993.92. This represents a 0.75 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.04, for a total value of $1,063,650.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 606,165 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,123,611.60. This trade represents a 2.12 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 143,412 shares of company stock valued at $12,228,259 in the last quarter. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WMT. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Walmart in the third quarter valued at $26,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. grew its holdings in Walmart by 77.3% in the 3rd quarter. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. now owns 399 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 174 shares during the period. Hoese & Co LLP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Livelsberger Financial Advisory purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Hara Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the third quarter worth approximately $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Walmart

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.