Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Stock Price Up 1.1% - Time to Buy?

Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) rose 1.1% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $87.33 and last traded at $86.96. Approximately 4,047,270 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 75% from the average daily volume of 15,914,888 shares. The stock had previously closed at $85.98.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on the company. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $100.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Barclays restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Walmart from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Roth Mkm reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $108.00 price objective (up previously from $97.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $103.17.

Walmart Trading Up 0.6 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The company has a market cap of $687.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.57, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.53. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $94.87 and its 200-day moving average price is $89.22.

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Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $178.83 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 21.87%. On average, equities analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.235 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 12th. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.10%. Walmart's payout ratio is presently 39.00%.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.95, for a total value of $343,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 888,309 shares in the company, valued at $76,350,158.55. This represents a 0.45 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 38,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.80, for a total value of $3,754,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 257,281 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $25,419,362.80. This trade represents a 12.87 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 147,528 shares of company stock worth $14,096,140 over the last 90 days. 45.58% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brophy Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth $2,072,000. Candriam S.C.A. increased its position in Walmart by 209.7% in the fourth quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 885,008 shares of the retailer's stock worth $79,960,000 after buying an additional 599,257 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New Hampshire increased its position in Walmart by 13.7% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New Hampshire now owns 47,949 shares of the retailer's stock worth $4,332,000 after buying an additional 5,786 shares during the last quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC now owns 203,150 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $18,355,000 after purchasing an additional 9,292 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Iowa State Bank lifted its holdings in Walmart by 213.8% during the 4th quarter. Iowa State Bank now owns 26,807 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,422,000 after purchasing an additional 18,263 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is 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.