Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT): Today's Featured Retail Laggard

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) pushed the Retail industry lower today making it today's featured Retail laggard. The industry as a whole closed the day down 0.6%. By the end of trading, Wal-Mart Stores fell $2.59 (-3.6%) to $68.72 on heavy volume. Throughout the day, 22.9 million shares of Wal-Mart Stores exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 6.6 million shares. The stock ranged in price between $67.85-$69.69 after having opened the day at $69.66 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $71.31. Other companies within the Retail industry that declined today were: Children's Place Retail Stores (PLCE), down 14.2%, Christopher & Banks Corporation (CBK), down 8.8%, Alon Holdings Blue Square - Israel (BSI), down 8%, and Coastal Contacts (COA), down 6.8%.

• EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Jim Cramer's Protégé, Dave Peltier, only buys Stocks Under $10 that he thinks could potentially double. See what he's trading today with a 14-day FREE pass.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates retail stores in various formats worldwide. It operates retail stores, restaurants, discount stores, supermarkets, supercenters, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, apparel stores, Sam's Clubs, and neighborhood markets, as well as walmart.com; and samsclub.com. Wal-Mart Stores has a market cap of $241.39 billion and is part of the services sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 15.1, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 19.3% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday. Currently there are 11 analysts that rate Wal-Mart Stores a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and 10 rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Wal-Mart Stores as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its solid stock price performance, growth in earnings per share, revenue growth, notable return on equity and increase in net income. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows weak operating cash flow.

• You can view the full Wal-Mart Stores Ratings Report.

On the positive front, E-Commerce China Dangdang (DANG), up 13.9%, QKL Stores (QKLS), up 7.1%, Hot Topic (HOTT), up 5.7%, and Destination Maternity (DEST), up 5.4%, were all gainers within the retail industry with Target (TGT) being today's featured retail industry leader.

• Use our retail section to find industry-relevant news.
• Or find some new ideas from our top rated stocks lists.

For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the retail industry could consider SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) while those bearish on the retail industry could consider ProShares Ultra Sht Consumer Goods (SZK).

• Find other investment ideas from our top rated ETFs lists.

FREE for a limited time only: Get TheStreet Ratings #1 Stock Report NOW!.

For more information on Wal-Mart Stores Inc click any of the following:

• Wal-Mart Stores Inc Stock Price

• Wal-Mart Stores Inc Analyst Ratings

• Wal-Mart Stores Inc Key Stats & Profile

• Wal-Mart Stores Inc Earnings

• Wal-Mart Stores Inc Ratio Comparison

• Wal-Mart Stores Inc Growth Rates

• Wal-Mart Stores Inc Balance Sheet

• Wal-Mart Stores Inc Cash Flow

• Wal-Mart Stores Inc Income Statement