Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Trading Up 0.8% – Here’s Why

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)’s stock price shot up 0.8% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $98.71 and last traded at $98.25. 2,775,717 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 81% from the average session volume of 14,567,879 shares. The stock had previously closed at $97.50.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on WMT shares. StockNews.com downgraded Walmart from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Walmart from $90.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research 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 report on Tuesday, December 3rd. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of Walmart from $83.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, November 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.11.

Walmart Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $93.07 and its 200 day moving average is $83.10. The company has a market cap of $787.00 billion, a PE ratio of 40.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.46 and a beta of 0.55.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 19th. The retailer reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $169.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $167.69 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 2.92% and a return on equity of 21.78%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.51 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,830 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.07, for a total transaction of $166,658.10. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 460,705 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $41,956,404.35. The trade was 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, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.96, for a total value of $1,220,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 568,626 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $52,859,472.96. The trade was a 2.26 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 137,177 shares of company stock worth $12,649,328 over the last quarter. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 19.1% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 117,509 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $10,617,000 after purchasing an additional 18,881 shares during the period. Convergence Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 13.7% during the fourth quarter. Convergence Investment Partners LLC now owns 95,807 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,656,000 after buying an additional 11,534 shares during the period. Allied Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 11.9% during the fourth quarter. Allied Investment Advisors LLC now owns 19,002 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,717,000 after acquiring an additional 2,016 shares during the last quarter. Atlas Legacy Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $774,000. Finally, Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,211,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.