Analysts Set Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) Price Target at $103.58

Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the thirty-three brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two research 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. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $103.58.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on WMT shares. Raymond James cut their target price on shares of Walmart from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 11th. UBS Group cut their price objective on Walmart from $112.00 to $110.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. KeyCorp upped their target price on Walmart from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Citigroup reissued a “positive” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT stock opened at $99.31 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $90.59 and a 200-day moving average of $91.60. The company has a market cap of $794.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.21, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Walmart has a 12-month low of $59.39 and a 12-month high of $105.30.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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. As a group, equities analysts expect that Walmart will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 27th. Investors of record on Monday, May 12th will be given a dividend of $0.235 per share. This represents a yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 9th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.00%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.95, for a total value of $343,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 888,309 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $76,350,158.55. This represents a 0.45 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.95, for a total transaction of $2,823,571.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,558,247 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $344,972,046.65. The trade was a 0.81 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 133,857 shares of company stock worth $12,444,743 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 45.58% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC grew its position in shares of Walmart by 1,007.7% during the 4th quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 262 shares during the last quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Bear Mountain Capital Inc. lifted its holdings in Walmart by 98.2% in the first quarter. Bear Mountain Capital Inc. now owns 337 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Decker Retirement Planning Inc. acquired a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by 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.