Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) Receives Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the thirty-three research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $104.94.

A number of brokerages have commented on WMT. Barclays reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 28th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on Walmart from $93.00 to $91.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $115.00 price objective (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 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, March 26th.

Walmart Stock Up 1.5%

Walmart stock traded up $1.47 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $98.57. The stock had a trading volume of 29,968,085 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,890,104. Walmart has a 12 month low of $65.16 and a 12 month high of $105.30. The company has a market capitalization of $788.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.90, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $93.46 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $93.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $165.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $164.53 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.87% and a net margin of 2.85%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.60 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Walmart will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 27th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 12th were given a dividend of $0.235 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.95%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is currently 40.17%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.66, for a total transaction of $195,052.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 398,024 shares in the company, valued at $35,288,807.84. This represents a 0.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 27th. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $340,166,630.71. This represents a 0.73% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 135,334 shares of company stock worth $12,615,864 in the last ninety days. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 1,007.7% in the fourth quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 262 shares during the period. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Operose Advisors LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 319.7% in the first quarter. Operose Advisors LLC now owns 319 shares of the retailer's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares during the period. Finally, Bear Mountain Capital Inc. grew its stake in Walmart by 98.2% in the first quarter. Bear Mountain Capital Inc. now owns 337 shares of the retailer's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares during the period. 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.