Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Now Covered by Mizuho

Investment analysts at Mizuho started coverage on shares of Walmart (NYSE:WMT) in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm set an “outperform” rating and a $105.00 price target on the retailer’s stock. Mizuho’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 15.56% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $110.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Walmart from $100.00 to $108.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $100.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, February 24th. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $115.00 price objective (up from $106.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Three investment 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’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Walmart currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $102.45.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT opened at $90.86 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $92.59 and a 200-day moving average price of $89.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Walmart has a twelve month low of $58.56 and a twelve month high of $105.30. The company has a market capitalization of $728.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.70, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The retailer reported $0.66 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 business had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $178.83 billion. Equities analysts expect that Walmart will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.66, for a total value of $195,052.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 398,024 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $35,288,807.84. The trade was a 0.55 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 29,124 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.63, for a total transaction of $2,493,888.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 3,972,517 shares in the company, valued at approximately $340,166,630.71. The trade was a 0.73 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 178,852 shares of company stock valued at $16,785,080. 45.58% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WMT. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1,007.7% during the fourth quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 262 shares in the last quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Noble Wealth Management PBC bought a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

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.