Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Shares Down 0.7% - Here's What Happened

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) shares fell 0.7% on Monday . The company traded as low as $95.62 and last traded at $96.06. 11,882,275 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 33% from the average session volume of 17,825,346 shares. The stock had previously closed at $96.72.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on WMT. KeyCorp increased their target price on shares of Walmart from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $108.00 target price (up previously from $97.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 21st. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on Walmart from $93.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Barclays restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 28th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $103.94.

Walmart Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $772.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.08, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $90.70 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $92.16.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $178.83 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.87% and a net margin of 2.85%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.37, for a total value of $214,214.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 632,718 shares of the company's stock, valued at $61,607,751.66. This trade represents a 0.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.95, for a total transaction of $343,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 888,309 shares in the company, valued at $76,350,158.55. This represents a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 133,857 shares of company stock worth $12,444,743. Insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC boosted 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 valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 262 shares in the last quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Operose Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 319.7% during the 1st 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, Decker Retirement Planning Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $32,000. 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.