Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Trading Up 1% - Here's Why

Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) shot up 1% on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $99.19 and last traded at $98.81. 4,585,398 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 75% from the average session volume of 17,985,663 shares. The stock had previously closed at $97.78.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 5th. KeyCorp increased their target price on Walmart from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, June 9th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on Walmart from $107.00 to $111.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 16th. Two equities research 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $106.67.

Walmart Trading Down 0.6%

The firm has a market cap of $779.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.77 and a beta of 0.68. The business's 50 day moving average is $96.97 and its 200-day moving average is $94.29. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results 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. The business had revenue of $165.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $164.53 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 2.75% and a return on equity of 21.76%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.60 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.00, for a total transaction of $217,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 630,518 shares in the company, valued at $62,421,282. This represents a 0.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.85, for a total transaction of $1,258,031.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 945,434 shares in the company, valued at $90,619,848.90. This represents a 1.37% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 140,511 shares of company stock valued at $13,493,751. Company insiders own 45.58% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Horizon Financial Services LLC grew its position in Walmart by 1,007.7% in the 4th 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 last quarter. Operose Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of 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. grew its holdings in Walmart by 98.2% in the 1st quarter. Bear Mountain Capital Inc. now owns 337 shares of the retailer's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd grew its holdings in Walmart by 432.4% in the 1st quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 362 shares of the retailer's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EQ Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $35,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.