Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Shares Down 0.2% - What's Next?

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) saw its share price decrease by 0.2% during trading on Tuesday. The stock reached a low of $91.12 and ended up trading at $91.33. In total, about 2,960,103 shares changed hands, which is a significant drop of 77% compared to its average daily volume of 13,001,878 shares. The previous closing price of the stock stood at $91.53.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Walmart has drawn attention from several market analysts recently. For example, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target for Walmart's shares from $96.00 to $100.00, categorizing the stock as "overweight" based on their latest research report. Also, Melius Research initiated coverage of Walmart on September 23rd, setting a "buy" rating and a price target of $95.00. Another notable mention is UBS Group, which increased its target price for Walmart from $92.00 to $100.00, also recommending a "buy". Similarly, Tigress Financial amended their price target for Walmart from $86.00 to $115.00, assigning a "buy" rating in their report. Telsey Advisory Group also adjusted their price target for Walmart from $92.00 to $100.00, providing an "outperform" rating in a report dated November 19th. Currently, two investment analysts have rated Walmart with a hold, while twenty-nine analysts recommended buying the stock, and one has given a strong buy. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart holds an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with a consensus target price set at $94.08.

Walmart Price Performance

The 50-day simple moving average for Walmart stands at $90.56, while the 200-day simple moving average is at $80.80. Walmart currently boasts a market capitalization of approximately $732.97 billion, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.44 and a P/E/G ratio of 4.47. The stock's beta is 0.55, indicating lower volatility compared to the market. The company’s quick ratio is 0.23, the current ratio is 0.85, and it has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Recent Earnings Report

Walmart’s most recent quarterly earnings data was released on November 19th. The retailer posted earnings of $0.58 per share, surpassing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.05. The company recorded a revenue of $169.59 billion for the quarter, exceeding predictions of $167.69 billion. It achieved a net margin of 2.92% and a return on equity of 21.78%. Their quarterly revenue marked a 5.5% increase year on year. In the same quarter last year, Walmart reported earnings of $0.51 per share. On average, analysts project that Walmart Inc. will deliver an earnings per share of 2.47 for the current year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In recent insider transactions, CEO C. Douglas McMillon sold 29,124 shares of Walmart stock on October 24th at an average price of $82.79, totaling around $2.41 million. Post-sale, he holds approximately 3,843,929 shares valued at around $318.24 million, reflecting a decrement of 0.75% in his holdings. This transaction was filed with the SEC and is available in public records. Additionally, Director Robert Edward Jr. Moritz purchased 5,446 shares at an average price of $91.81 per share on November 27th, amounting to about $500,000. After this acquisition, Moritz now owns 7,805 shares in Walmart worth about $716,577, representing an increase of 230.86% in his stake. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 138,347 shares valued at roughly $12.31 million. Currently, corporate insiders own 45.58% of Walmart's stock.

Hedge Funds and Institutional Investors' Actions

Institutional investors have recently been active in changing their positions in Walmart. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake by 3.3% in the third quarter, bringing its total to 87,617,409 shares valued at approximately $7.05 billion after acquiring an additional 2,786,061 shares. FMR LLC also increased its position by 12.9% during the same quarter, now owning 63,135,639 shares valued at around $5.10 billion following a purchase of 7,200,004 shares. Other institutional investors, including Fisher Asset Management LLC and Franklin Resources Inc., have also boosted their investments in Walmart. Collectively, around 26.76% of Walmart's shares are held by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Company Overview

Walmart Inc. operates across various segments, including Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club, engaging in retail, wholesale, and eCommerce globally. The company’s diverse range comprises supercenters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, and discount stores under multiple brands, as well as eCommerce platforms such as walmart.com.

Walmart, Stocks, Trading