Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Trading 1.9% Higher - Here's What Happened

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report)'s share price was up 1.9% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $94.54 and last traded at $94.54. Approximately 5,582,245 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 68% from the average daily volume of 17,614,323 shares. The stock had previously closed at $92.80.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on WMT. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on Walmart from $107.00 to $102.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Walmart from $98.00 to $111.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Oppenheimer reduced their target price on shares of Walmart from $110.00 to $95.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Roth Mkm reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $108.00 price target (up from $97.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $115.00 price objective (up previously from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Three 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's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $103.58.

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Walmart Stock Up 1.4 %

The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $92.43 and a 200 day simple moving average of $89.95. 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 $754.15 billion, a PE ratio of 39.03, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.02. Walmart had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 21.87%. The firm had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $178.83 billion. Equities research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 12th will be paid 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 yield of 1.00%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is presently 39.00%.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.96, for a total transaction of $1,220,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 568,626 shares in the company, valued at $52,859,472.96. The trade was a 2.26 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,600 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 in the company, valued at approximately $44,049,852.03. This represents a 0.38 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 178,852 shares of company stock valued at $16,785,080 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 1,007.7% in the fourth 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 period. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Noble Wealth Management PBC acquired a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.

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