GSK PLC Sponsored ADR (NYSE:GSK) Receives Average Recommendation of “Reduce” from Brokerages

GSK PLC Sponsored ADR (NYSE:GSK) has been given an average rating of “Reduce” by the eleven analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have assigned a hold recommendation and one has assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $44.1250.

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of GSK in a research report on Monday, February 9th. HSBC reissued a “reduce” rating on shares of GSK in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of GSK in a report on Monday, February 9th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of GSK from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut GSK from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 19th.

GSK Price Performance

GSK opened at $56.06 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The company has a market cap of $113.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.34 and a beta of 0.44. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $55.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $49.56. GSK has a 12-month low of $32.38 and a 12-month high of $61.69.

GSK Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.4856 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. This is a positive change from GSK’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. This represents a $1.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.5%. GSK’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.62%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On GSK

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of GSK by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 33,195,985 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,627,931,000 after acquiring an additional 968,370 shares during the last quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S grew its position in GSK by 2,032.8% in the 4th quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 854,331 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $41,896,000 after acquiring an additional 814,275 shares during the last quarter. PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab purchased a new stake in GSK in the fourth quarter worth $6,385,000. Align Financial LLC purchased a new stake in GSK in the fourth quarter worth $5,628,000. Finally, Leuthold Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of GSK during the fourth quarter worth $4,922,000. 15.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

GSK Company Profile

GSK (GlaxoSmithKline plc) is a London-headquartered, multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company formed through the 2000 merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham. The company is dual-listed and operates globally, developing, manufacturing and commercializing prescription medicines, vaccines and specialty treatments. Over its history GSK has evolved through portfolio reshaping and strategic transactions to focus on science-led pharmaceuticals and vaccines.

GSK’s core activities include research and development of therapies and vaccines across a range of therapeutic areas, commercial manufacturing, and global marketing.