Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) Short Interest Update

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 33,120,000 shares, agrowthof971.8% from the June 30th total of 3,090,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 16,420,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.0 days. Based on an average daily volume of 16,420,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.0 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on WMT. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Walmart from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Mizuho upped their price target on Walmart from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, June 9th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. KeyCorp increased their target price on Walmart from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 9th. Finally, DA Davidson reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $117.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $106.67.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $98.40 on Monday. Walmart has a one year low of $66.67 and a one year high of $105.30. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $96.86 and its 200 day moving average is $95.08. The stock has a market cap of $785.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.05, a P/E/G ratio of 4.74 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a current ratio of 0.78.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 15th. The retailer reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.76% and a net margin of 2.75%. The company had revenue of $165.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $164.53 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.60 EPS. Walmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.44, for a total value of $216,568.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 628,318 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $61,851,623.92. This represents a 0.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.85, for a total value of $1,258,031.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 945,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $90,619,848.90. This represents a 1.37% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 143,912 shares of company stock worth $13,863,813. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WMT. Whelan Financial lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. Whelan Financial now owns 4,339 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $392,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,937 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $538,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Bedel Financial Consulting Inc. lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 0.4% in the first quarter. Bedel Financial Consulting Inc. now owns 25,915 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,275,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.1% in the second quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 9,830 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $961,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Scott & Selber Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 3.7% in the first quarter. Scott & Selber Inc. now owns 2,920 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $256,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.