Walmart (NYSE:WMT – Get Rating) will release its earnings data before the market opens on Thursday, May 18th. Analysts expect Walmart to post earnings of $1.30 per share for the quarter. Parties that wish to register for the company’s conference call can do so using this link.
Walmart (NYSE:WMT – Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The retailer reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.20. Walmart had a net margin of 1.91% and a return on equity of 20.45%. The business had revenue of $164.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $158.67 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.53 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect Walmart to post $6 EPS for the current fiscal year and $7 EPS for the next fiscal year.
Walmart Stock Performance
Shares of NYSE WMT opened at $152.55 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The stock has a market cap of $411.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.64, a PEG ratio of 4.58 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $146.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $145.22. Walmart has a 12 month low of $117.27 and a 12 month high of $154.64.
Walmart Dividend Announcement
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 8th will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 7th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.49%. Walmart’s payout ratio is 53.27%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Credit Suisse Group set a $170.00 price objective on Walmart and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. StockNews.com started coverage on Walmart in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a “strong-buy” rating for the company. Oppenheimer raised their price target on Walmart from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, March 28th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada set a $163.00 price objective on Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.13.
Insider Activity
In other Walmart news, major shareholder Alice L. Walton sold 563,717 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.26, for a total value of $80,194,380.42. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 264,873,644 shares in the company, valued at $37,680,924,595.44. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, EVP John R. Furner sold 4,375 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.00, for a total transaction of $660,625.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 286,617 shares in the company, valued at $43,279,167. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, major shareholder Alice L. Walton sold 563,717 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.26, for a total value of $80,194,380.42. Following the sale, the insider now owns 264,873,644 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $37,680,924,595.44. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 21,044,002 shares of company stock valued at $2,981,168,308. 47.06% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Kraft Davis & Associates LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $221,000. Delphia USA Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 1st quarter worth about $214,000. Connors Investor Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 1st quarter worth about $213,000. Columbia Trust Co 01012016 purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $211,000. Finally, Beach Investment Counsel Inc. PA purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $206,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 31.27% of the company’s stock.
About Walmart
Walmart, Inc engages in retail and wholesale business. The company offers an assortment of merchandise and services at everyday low prices. It operates through the following business segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam’s Club. The Walmart U.S. segment operates as a merchandiser of consumer products, operating under the Walmart, Wal-Mart, and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands, as well as walmart.com and other eCommerce brands.