A guide to the WMT stock quote

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (New York Stock Exchange symbol WMT) is the largest company in the world by revenues and employees. The company sells virtually everything, including food, clothes and electronics. The Walmart share price moves with the economy, as consumers' willingness to buy is the most important metric for retailers. The WMT stock price is available from any broker or any free online financial site.

Walmart: The company

History Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton, and went public in 1972. It is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas and since 2008, has operated under the brand name Walmart in the United States. Walmart stores Walmart operates 8500 stores in 15 countries. 51% of the United States business is groceries. The company also operates 709 Sam's Club Retail Warehouses.

Walmart stock

As is true of most large, blue-chip companies, the price of Walmart stock does not fluctuate as much as the stock prices of smaller companies or the market as a whole. All of the metrics of the company are rated favourably by investors. Debt Walmart has $45 billion in debt, which is easily serviced by cash flow. In a time of low interest rates, many analysts believe Walmart is smart to use debt to finance expansion. Short interest The short interest of 2% is rather small, but does indicate that some investors expect the Walmart stock price to decline. Dividend The 2.9% forward dividend rate is considered good in an era where treasuries yield 2.5%. The dividend is considered safe, in view of the company's business outlook and cash flow. Stock chart Walmart stock has traded lower along with the broader market in the first week of August, 2011, ending 8 Aug at $48.92. However, the decline has not been as steep as many other stocks. If the market stabilises, WMT, with its nice dividend and secure market position, could be a good buy. Where to find the WMT stock quote If you have a full-service broker, call him and he will give you a current price. If you trade online, you can get the price minute-by-minute by accessing the streaming quotes page. If you don't have a broker, there are a lot of sites that can give you a recent bid and ask as well as the last trade. Finance.yahoo.com is one of the easiest to use. Search "stock price" for a full list.