A.G. BARR (LON:BAG) Hits New 12-Month High - Still a Buy?

Shares of A.G. BARR p.l.c. (LON:BAG - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as GBX 703 ($9.33) and last traded at GBX 701 ($9.30), with a volume of 240461 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 687 ($9.12).

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Shore Capital reaffirmed a "house stock" rating on shares of A.G. BARR in a report on Tuesday, March 25th.

A.G. BARR Stock Down 0.7 %

The company has a quick ratio of 1.99, a current ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62. The firm has a market capitalization of £767.68 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.12, a P/E/G ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.38. The stock has a 50 day moving average of GBX 637.68 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 622.10.

A.G. BARR (LON:BAG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, March 25th. The company reported GBX 39.77 ($0.53) EPS for the quarter. A.G. BARR had a return on equity of 12.27% and a net margin of 8.81%. As a group, analysts expect that A.G. BARR p.l.c. will post 43.7109104 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

A.G. BARR Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 8th will be paid a dividend of GBX 44.80 ($0.59) per share. This is a positive change from A.G. BARR's previous dividend of $3.10. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 8th. This represents a yield of 3.02%. A.G. BARR's payout ratio is presently 49.20%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Euan Sutherland purchased 11,990 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 28th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 675 ($8.96) per share, for a total transaction of £80,932.50 ($107,394.51). Over the last three months, insiders have acquired 12,063 shares of company stock valued at $8,138,446. Company insiders own 23.13% of the company's stock.

A.G. BARR Company Profile

A.G. Barr is a UK-based branded multi beverage business focused on growth and the creation of long-term shareholder value. Ambitious and value driven, with strong consumer focus, it is a brand owners and builder, offering a diverse and differentiated portfolio of brands that people love. Established almost 150 years ago in Scotland, now operating across the UK and with export markets throughout the world, A.G.