IPO helps unlock Walmart’s value

Article Excerpt

WALMART INC. $132 is a buy. The retailer (New York symbol WMT; Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 2.8 billion; Market cap: $369.6 billion; Dividend yield: 1.6%; Takeover Target Rating: Lowest; www.walmart.com) operates 11,443 outlets in 25 countries. In August 2018, the company acquired 77% of Flipkart Group for $16 billion. Flipkart is a leading online retailer in India, with annual sales of $4.5 billion. Flipkart is now considering listing its shares on a U.S. exchange by merging with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC). A SPAC is a company without any commercial operations, formed to raise money from public investors for an initial public offering. Regardless of the method, a U.S. listing would help draw investor attention to Flipkart and boost the value of Walmart’s holding. Walmart is a buy. buy. …