Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Stock Price Down 1.5% Following Insider Selling

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) dropped 1.5% during mid-day trading on Friday after an insider sold shares in the company. The stock traded as low as $95.12 and last traded at $95.78. Approximately 10,845,730 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 33% from the average daily volume of 16,160,107 shares. The stock had previously closed at $97.21.

Specifically, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,600 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.99, for a total value of $166,384.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 423,597 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $44,049,852.03. The trade was a 0.38 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. DZ Bank cut Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $91.00 price target for the company. in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on Walmart from $98.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Evercore ISI upped their price target on shares of Walmart from $94.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 3rd. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Roth Mkm reissued a "buy" rating and set a $108.00 price objective (up previously from $97.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $102.43.

Walmart Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $95.63 and a two-hundred day moving average of $86.71. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $752.21 billion, a PE ratio of 38.85, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.55.

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

Walmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.235 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 12th. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.00%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is currently 34.44%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC grew its position in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Walmart in the third quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Decker Retirement Planning Inc. bought a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.