Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Shares Up 1.4% – Time to Buy?

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) shares shot up 1.4% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $91.83 and last traded at $91.66. 2,887,078 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 83% from the average session volume of 17,063,391 shares. The stock had previously closed at $90.35.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on WMT shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Walmart from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Bank of America increased their price target on Walmart from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Redburn Atlantic upgraded Walmart to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Walmart from $89.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $93.69.

Walmart Stock Up 2.6 %

The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $87.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $78.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $744.53 billion, a PE ratio of 38.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.47 and a beta of 0.54.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 19th. The retailer reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $169.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $167.69 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.78% and a net margin of 2.92%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.51 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.64, for a total value of $2,348,559.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,873,053 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $312,322,993.92. The trade was a 0.75 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.47, for a total transaction of $277,410.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 375,165 shares in the company, valued at approximately $34,691,507.55. The trade was a 0.79 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 143,412 shares of company stock valued at $12,228,259 in the last three months. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 77.3% during the 3rd quarter. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. now owns 399 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares during the period. Hoese & Co LLP bought a new stake in Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Livelsberger Financial Advisory purchased a new position in Walmart during the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Hara Capital LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth $37,000. 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.