Bunzl (LON:BNZL) Stock Keeps "Underperform" Rating at Jefferies Financial Group

Key Points

• Jefferies reiterated its “underperform” rating on Bunzl and set a GBX 2,300 price target, implying 16.42% downside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed, with Bunzl carrying an overall “Hold” consensus rating; price targets from other firms range from GBX 2,600 to GBX 3,000.
• Bunzl shares opened at GBX 2,752, while insider Frank van Zanten purchased 34,946 shares worth approximately £919,080 at an average price of GBX 2,630.

Bunzl (LON:BNZL - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "underperform" rating reiterated by investment analysts at Jefferies Financial Group in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, Digital Look reports. They presently have a GBX 2,300 price objective on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price target indicates a potential downside of 16.42% from the stock's previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on BNZL. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating and set a GBX 3,000 target price on shares of Bunzl in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and set a GBX 2,600 price target on shares of Bunzl in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Bunzl from GBX 2,610 to GBX 2,800 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Bunzl from £280 to £300 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Bunzl currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of GBX 7,175.

Bunzl Stock Performance

Shares of BNZL opened at GBX 2,752 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 95.61, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 1.38. The stock has a market capitalization of £8.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.23, a P/E/G ratio of 5.40 and a beta of 0.32. The company's fifty day moving average is GBX 2,701.43 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 2,584.11. Bunzl has a 1 year low of GBX 1,981 and a 1 year high of GBX 2,898.

Bunzl (LON:BNZL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, September 1st. The company reported GBX 65.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Bunzl had a return on equity of 20.61% and a net margin of 4.82%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Bunzl will post 213.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Bunzl news, insider Frank van Zanten acquired 34,946 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 17th. The stock was acquired at an average price of GBX 2,630 per share, with a total value of £919,079.80. 0.48% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Bunzl Company Profile

Bunzl plc operates as a distribution and services company in the North America, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally. The company offers food packaging, films, labels, cleaning and hygiene supplies, and personal protection equipment to grocery stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores. It also provides food packaging, disposable tableware, guest amenities, catering equipment, agricultural supplies, cleaning and hygiene products, and safety items to hotels, restaurants, contract caterers, food processors, commercial growers, and the leisure sector; and gloves, boots, hard hats, ear and eye protection, and other workwear, as well as cleaning and hygiene supplies, and asset protection products to industrial and construction, and ecommerce sectors.

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