Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Shares Gap Down - What's Next?

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report)'s share price gapped down prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $104.00, but opened at $98.78. Walmart shares last traded at $97.78, with a volume of 22,147,910 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Bank of America increased their target price on Walmart from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Guggenheim boosted their target price on shares of Walmart from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Walmart from $98.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Walmart from $89.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price objective on Walmart from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Two 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $102.43.

Walmart Stock Performance

The firm's fifty day moving average is $95.62 and its 200-day moving average is $86.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $760.77 billion, a PE ratio of 38.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.40 and a beta of 0.55.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $180.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $178.83 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 2.92% and a return on equity of 21.78%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 12th will be given a dividend of $0.235 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 12th. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.99%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is currently 34.02%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 38,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.80, for a total transaction of $3,754,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 257,281 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $25,419,362.80. This represents a 12.87 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,600 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.99, for a total transaction of $166,384.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 423,597 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $44,049,852.03. The trade was a 0.38 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 176,777 shares of company stock valued at $16,570,112. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Putney Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $93,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $786,000. Forum Financial Management LP raised its position in Walmart by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 75,100 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $6,785,000 after purchasing an additional 2,897 shares in the last quarter. Griffith & Werner Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $285,000. Finally, Sunbeam Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $1,309,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

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.