Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Trading Down 2.3% - Here's Why

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) traded down 2.3% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $96.61 and last traded at $97.04. 3,328,199 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 82% from the average session volume of 17,994,238 shares. The stock had previously closed at $99.35.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Walmart from $112.00 to $110.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on shares of Walmart from $93.00 to $91.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Two 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $106.67.

Walmart Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $773.70 billion, a PE ratio of 41.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.78 and a beta of 0.68. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $97.24 and its 200-day moving average price is $94.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.22.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. Walmart had a net margin of 2.75% and a return on equity of 21.76%. The firm had revenue of $165.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $164.53 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.60 earnings per share. Walmart's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.19, for a total value of $1,887,041.04. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 4,431,783 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $430,724,989.77. This represents a 0.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.44, for a total transaction of $216,568.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 628,318 shares of the company's stock, valued at $61,851,623.92. This represents a 0.35% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 142,711 shares of company stock valued at $13,710,319 in the last three months. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Horizon Financial Services LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 1,007.7% during the fourth quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 262 shares during the period. Operose Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 319.7% during the first quarter. Operose Advisors LLC now owns 319 shares of the retailer's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 243 shares during the period. Bear Mountain Capital Inc. boosted its stake in Walmart by 98.2% during the first quarter. Bear Mountain Capital Inc. now owns 337 shares of the retailer's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 167 shares during the period. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd boosted its stake in Walmart by 432.4% during the first quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 362 shares of the retailer's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 294 shares during the period. Finally, EQ Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the first quarter worth about $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.