What Is the Stock Symbol for Walmart?
By the early 2000s, there were only a few places in the continental United States where you could get more than 60 miles from a Walmart -- a testimony to the company's remarkable expansion. Despite its size Walmart continues to exhibit strong growth, particularly in its international operations. If you are interested in investing in this company, you'll need to know the stock symbol for Walmart.
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Identification
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Walmart is a publicly traded corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange and uses the stock symbol WMT. Use the stock symbol to locate price quotes and to find financial analysis and information on websites. You can purchase Walmart stock through a brokerage account or by enrolling in Walmart's direct stock purchase program.
History
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When he opened the first Walmart in Rodgers, Arkansas, Sam Walton was already a successful retailer. His concept of a wide selection of discount goods with an emphasis on American-made products proved popular, and by 1967, there were two dozen stores throughout the state of Arkansas. In 1969, the company began to expand regionally, opening stores in Missouri and Oklahoma, and set up its first distribution center. The following year, Walmart went public and was soon listed on the New York Stock Exchange. By 1987, they completed a state-of-the art satellite network that allowed centralized inventory control and tracking. The following year saw the opening of the first Walmart "Supercenter" which included supermarket sections and a "one-stop" shopping environment. Since 2000, Walmart has launched initiatives into banking and financial services and providing pharmacy retailing in its stores.
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Types
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Headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, Walmart is best known as a discount retailer. The company's distinctive blend of low prices and large stores with very wide selections has moved it into a dominant position among retailers. The company's more than 3,000 U.S. outlets include close to 2,000 combination discount/supermarket Superstores. A subsidiary, Sam's Club, operates about 500 warehouse outlets. Walmart International has stores worldwide and generated about 20% of company revenue as of 2007.
Size
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As of 2001, Walmart was listed as the largest company by revenue in the United States, and has remained at the top of the Fortune 500 every year since except 2006. Revenues for 2007 were $387.7 billion. Operating income was $21.996 billion with net income of $12.731 billion. The company listed assets totaling $183.5 billion and stockholder's equity of $64.6 billion in 2007. In 2008, Walmart operated nearly 6,000 stores globally and employed a total of approximately 2,100,000 people.
Features
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To invest in Walmart, you can either use a traditional broker or their direct stock purchase program (DSPP). In either case, be sure to get up-to-date information on the company's performance and prospects by reading their annual reports and analysis from independent financial publications. The Walmart DSPP allows investment with as little as $250 for an initial investment, or $25 per month with a prearranged automatic debit from a bank account for at least 10 months. Additional investments are a minimum of $25. There is a one-time set-up fee of $20. Investments are assessed a $5 fee for cash/checks or $1 for automatic debit transactions, plus 5 cents for each share purchased. Sales of stock cost more, with fees ranging from $20 to $30 plus a 5 cent per share charge. You can set up a DSPP through their transfer agent, Computershare, Inc.
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