Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Stock Price Up 0.6% – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) were up 0.6% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $98.07 and last traded at $97.92. Approximately 2,977,341 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 80% from the average daily volume of 14,753,175 shares. The stock had previously closed at $97.29.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on WMT shares. Piper Sandler upped their target price on Walmart from $83.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, November 18th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Walmart from $96.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Walmart from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Guggenheim upped their price target on Walmart from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price target on Walmart from $89.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-nine have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus 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 stock has a fifty day moving average price of $92.91 and a 200-day moving average price of $82.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $787.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.20, a PEG ratio of 4.46 and a beta of 0.55.

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

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, Director Robert Edward Jr. Moritz purchased 5,446 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $91.81 per share, with a total value of $499,997.26. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 7,805 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $716,577.05. This trade represents a 230.86 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, 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 sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 460,705 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $41,956,404.35. This represents a 0.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 137,177 shares of company stock valued at $12,649,328. Corporate insiders own 45.58% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Anchor Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 6.5% in the 2nd quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 85,145 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,765,000 after buying an additional 5,194 shares during the period. Mattson Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at $2,924,000. Neville Rodie & Shaw Inc. increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Neville Rodie & Shaw Inc. now owns 20,504 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,656,000 after buying an additional 356 shares during the period. Waller Financial Planning Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth $226,000. Finally, Abacus Planning Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. now owns 16,456 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,329,000 after purchasing an additional 507 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is 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.