Short Interest in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) Increases By 26.4%

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 46,590,000 shares, a growth of 26.4% from the March 31st total of 36,870,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 22,880,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.0 days. Approximately 1.1% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Walmart Trading Up 1.4 %

Shares of WMT stock traded up $1.32 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $98.73. 16,026,369 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,836,499. The stock has a market cap of $789.93 billion, a PE ratio of 40.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Walmart has a 12 month low of $59.14 and a 12 month high of $105.30. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $90.52 and its 200 day simple moving average is $91.33.

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, topping the consensus estimate 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 net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 21.87%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 27th. Investors of record on Monday, May 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 9th. Walmart's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.00%.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, 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 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.19, for a total value of $2,743,189.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 4,480,347 shares in the company, valued at approximately $422,003,883.93. This trade represents a 0.65 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 169,657 shares of company stock worth $15,984,929. 45.58% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Retirement Planning Co of New England Inc. lifted its position in Walmart by 178.8% during the first quarter. Retirement Planning Co of New England Inc. now owns 29,347 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,576,000 after purchasing an additional 18,822 shares during the last quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 8.1% during the 1st quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI now owns 65,798 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $5,776,000 after purchasing an additional 4,926 shares during the period. Bear Mountain Capital Inc. raised its position in shares of Walmart by 98.2% during the 1st quarter. Bear Mountain Capital Inc. now owns 337 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares during the period. Pettee Investors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Pettee Investors Inc. now owns 34,385 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,019,000 after acquiring an additional 368 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Woodward Diversified Capital LLC increased its position in Walmart by 4.9% during the first quarter. Woodward Diversified Capital LLC now owns 13,346 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,172,000 after acquiring an additional 624 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $100.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "positive" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. StockNews.com raised Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday. Barclays reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $103.58.

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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