GSK (NYSE:GSK) Downgraded to “Hold” Rating by Wall Street Zen

GSK (NYSE:GSK) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

GSK has been the subject of a number of other reports. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of GSK in a report on Monday, February 9th. Barclays reissued an “underweight” rating on shares of GSK in a report on Friday, February 20th. Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of GSK in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of GSK from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $53.00.

GSK Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GSK opened at $50.57 on Friday. GSK has a twelve month low of $35.45 and a twelve month high of $61.69. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The company has a market capitalization of $102.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.14, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.38. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $53.70 and a two-hundred day moving average of $52.42.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On GSK

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First Horizon Corp increased its holdings in GSK by 78.7% in the fourth quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 536 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 236 shares during the last quarter. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in GSK in the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in GSK in the third quarter worth approximately $40,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in GSK by 98.6% in the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 991 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 492 shares during the last quarter. Finally, 1248 Management LLC increased its holdings in GSK by 314.6% in the third quarter. 1248 Management LLC now owns 1,053 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 799 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 15.74% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting GSK

Here are the key news stories impacting GSK this week:

• Positive Sentiment: GSK reported strong late-stage data for bepirovirsen, its experimental hepatitis B drug, with nearly one in five patients achieving a functional cure in key trials. That boosts the value of GSK’s pipeline and could support long-term revenue potential if the drug reaches market. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: GSK and partner Ionis also highlighted “unprecedented” functional cure rates for bepirovirsen in Phase 3 studies, reinforcing optimism around one of the company’s most important pipeline assets. Business Wire article
• Positive Sentiment: GSK also announced Japan expanded the eligible population for Arexvy to include adults ages 18 to 49 at increased risk for RSV disease, which could widen the vaccine’s addressable market. Yahoo Finance article
• Neutral Sentiment: Citi kept a neutral stance on GSK despite the hepatitis B breakthrough, saying commercialization questions mean much of the potential value may not show up for shareholders in the near term. Proactive Investors article
• Neutral Sentiment: Other coverage noted that GSK remains down since its last earnings report, suggesting investors are still weighing pipeline progress against broader earnings expectations. Yahoo Finance article
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts are still questioning how fast bepirovirsen can become a meaningful commercial product, which limits near-term upside even after the positive trial results. Proactive Investors article

About GSK

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.