Robert W. Baird Issues Positive Forecast for Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Stock Price

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) had its target price increased by equities researchers at Robert W. Baird from $100.00 to $110.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "outperform" rating on the retailer's stock. Robert W. Baird's price objective would suggest a potential upside of 11.28% from the stock's previous close.

WMT has been the topic of several other reports. DZ Bank upgraded Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $110.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Walmart from $100.00 to $108.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on Walmart from $93.00 to $91.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Erste Group Bank lowered Walmart from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, March 17th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $103.77.

Walmart Stock Up 2.6%

WMT traded up $2.50 during trading on Friday, reaching $98.85. 6,948,015 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 17,961,851. The stock has a market cap of $790.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.70. Walmart has a twelve month low of $62.94 and a twelve month high of $105.30. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $90.98 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $92.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.82.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.03. Walmart had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 21.87%. The firm had revenue of $165.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $164.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.60 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Walmart will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.63, for a total value of $2,493,888.12. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 3,972,517 shares in the company, valued at $340,166,630.71. This trade represents a 0.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.37, for a total value of $214,214.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 632,718 shares in the company, valued at approximately $61,607,751.66. This trade represents a 0.35% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 133,857 shares of company stock valued at $12,444,743 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. World Investment Advisors lifted its position in Walmart by 7.6% during the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 271,515 shares of the retailer's stock worth $24,532,000 after buying an additional 19,233 shares in the last quarter. Candriam S.C.A. raised 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 valued at $79,960,000 after purchasing an additional 599,257 shares during the period. Modera Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC now owns 203,150 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $18,355,000 after buying an additional 9,292 shares in the last quarter. Cushing Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $1,124,000. Finally, Campbell Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $359,000. Hedge funds and other 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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