Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Stock Price Down 1% – Should You Sell?

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)’s stock price dropped 1% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $89.56 and last traded at $89.58. Approximately 5,014,406 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 70% from the average daily volume of 16,829,410 shares. The stock had previously closed at $90.44.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the subject of a number of research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Walmart from $73.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 16th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Walmart from $92.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Redburn Atlantic upgraded shares of Walmart to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Walmart from $77.00 to $83.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 16th. Two equities 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 company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $91.88.

Walmart Trading Up 0.6 %

The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $738.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.70, a P/E/G ratio of 4.25 and a beta of 0.51. The business has a 50-day moving average of $82.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $74.48.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 19th. The retailer reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.53 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $169.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $167.69 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.78% and a net margin of 2.92%. Walmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.51 EPS. Research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, major shareholder Alice L. Walton sold 2,709,163 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.37, for a total value of $209,607,941.31. Following the sale, the insider now owns 630,501,148 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $48,781,873,820.76. The trade was a 0.43 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.48, for a total value of $232,440.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 384,165 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $29,765,104.20. This represents a 0.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 12,337,337 shares of company stock valued at $958,823,647 in the last 90 days. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. boosted its stake in Walmart by 77.3% in the third quarter. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. now owns 399 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Hoese & Co LLP bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the third quarter worth $33,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the first quarter valued at $25,000. Finally, TruNorth Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 138.3% in the second quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 429 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 249 shares during the last quarter. 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.