Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Shares Down 1.3% – What’s Next?

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) was down 1.3% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $86.28 and last traded at $88.55. Approximately 13,134,151 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 23% from the average daily volume of 16,985,375 shares. The stock had previously closed at $89.76.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the subject of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Walmart from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Citigroup restated a “positive” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 20th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on Walmart from $99.00 to $93.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 20th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 28th. 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. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $103.17.

Walmart Trading Down 3.0 %

The company has a market capitalization of $698.23 billion, a PE ratio of 36.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.53. 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 fifty day moving average is $94.38 and its 200-day moving average is $89.52.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.02. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.87% and a net margin of 2.85%. The firm had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $178.83 billion. On average, analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th will be given 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 yield of 1.08%. Walmart’s payout ratio is 39.00%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,830 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.07, for a total value of $166,658.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 460,705 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $41,956,404.35. This trade represents a 0.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.63, for a total transaction of $2,493,888.12. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 3,972,517 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $340,166,630.71. The trade was a 0.73 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 176,652 shares of company stock valued at $16,590,028. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WMT. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 14.9% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 6,235,504 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $503,517,000 after buying an additional 809,352 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $270,000. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,828,000. Mission Creek Capital Partners Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Mission Creek Capital Partners Inc. now owns 35,280 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,849,000 after purchasing an additional 558 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Polymer Capital Management HK LTD acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $787,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently 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.