Mizuho Begins Coverage on Walmart (NYSE:WMT)

Mizuho initiated coverage on shares of Walmart (NYSE:WMT) in a research note released on Friday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm issued an outperform rating and a $105.00 price target on the retailer’s stock.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $115.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Walmart from $105.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Citigroup reissued a “positive” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Walmart from $98.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 28th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $103.58.

Walmart Trading Up 2.4 %

Shares of WMT stock opened at $92.81 on Friday. Walmart has a fifty-two week low of $58.56 and a fifty-two week high of $105.30. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $92.43 and a 200 day moving average price of $89.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $744.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.82.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last posted its quarterly 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. The business had revenue of $180.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $178.83 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 21.87%. Equities research analysts predict that Walmart will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 12th will be paid a $0.235 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 12th. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.01%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.00%.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,600 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.99, for a total value of $166,384.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 423,597 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $44,049,852.03. The trade was a 0.38 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.95, for a total transaction of $343,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 888,309 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $76,350,158.55. This trade represents a 0.45 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 178,852 shares of company stock valued at $16,785,080. Company insiders own 45.58% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Horizon Financial Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1,007.7% in the 4th quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 262 shares during the period. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. acquired a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Noble Wealth Management PBC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.