Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Trading 0.5% Higher - Should You Buy?

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report)'s share price shot up 0.5% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $95.98 and last traded at $95.44. 3,530,346 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 77% from the average session volume of 15,507,418 shares. The stock had previously closed at $94.97.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Walmart from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. StockNews.com lowered Walmart from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $115.00 price target (up from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 13th. DZ Bank raised Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on Walmart from $80.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, November 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $103.07.

Walmart Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.82. The company has a market cap of $768.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.66, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.55. The firm's fifty day moving average is $96.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $88.03.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share 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, analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 12th will be issued a $0.235 dividend. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.98%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 12th. Walmart's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.00%.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 26th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $349,609,579.70. This trade represents a 0.76 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,600 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.99, for a total value of $166,384.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 423,597 shares in the company, valued at $44,049,852.03. This trade represents a 0.38 % 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 valued at $17,657,316. Corporate insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Walmart during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 1,007.7% in the 4th quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 262 shares during the last quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Decker Retirement Planning Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Institutional investors 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.

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