Haleon's (HLN) "Buy" Rating Reaffirmed at Jefferies Financial Group

Key Points

• Jefferies reaffirmed its “Buy” rating on Haleon and set a GBX 400 price target, implying 23.53% upside from the previous close. However, the broader analyst consensus remains “Hold,” with an average target of GBX 385.80.
• Haleon shares rose 1.9% to GBX 323.80, although they remained below the 50-day and 200-day moving averages. The company reported quarterly earnings of GBX 8.60 per share and has a market capitalization of approximately £28.48 billion.
• Haleon approved a £500 million share buyback, allowing repurchases of up to 1.8% of outstanding shares. The move signals management believes the stock is undervalued, but it follows weaker-than-expected third-quarter organic growth and a reduced 2026 growth outlook.

Haleon (LON:HLN - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating restated by stock analysts at Jefferies Financial Group in a research report issued on Friday, Digital Look reports. They presently have a GBX 400 price objective on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price objective points to a potential upside of 23.53% from the stock's previous close.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Berenberg Bank upped their price objective on shares of Haleon from GBX 512 to GBX 514 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on shares of Haleon from GBX 335 to GBX 320 and set a "sell" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Haleon from GBX 370 to GBX 390 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of GBX 385.80.

Haleon Trading Up 1.9%

Shares of Haleon stock traded up GBX 6.10 during trading on Friday, reaching GBX 323.80. 1,049,375,500 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 32,993,621. The business has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 353.77 and a 200-day moving average price of GBX 360.62. The firm has a market capitalization of £28.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 50.38. Haleon has a twelve month low of GBX 310.50 and a twelve month high of GBX 433.60.

Haleon (LON:HLN - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported GBX 8.60 earnings per share for the quarter. Haleon had a return on equity of 9.89% and a net margin of 14.55%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Haleon will post 19.50 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Haleon declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Thursday, October 29th that authorizes the company to repurchase £500 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 1.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Key Haleon News

Here are the key news stories impacting Haleon this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Haleon approved a £500 million share repurchase programme, allowing it to buy back up to 1.8% of outstanding shares through open-market purchases. The authorization may support earnings per share and signals management’s view that the stock is undervalued. Haleon Q3 Revenue Rises; Trims Annual Revenue Growth Outlook; Launches £500 Mln Share Buyback
• Neutral Sentiment: Management maintained its profit outlook while launching the repurchase plan, which could limit the earnings impact of softer sales. However, the buyback is primarily a capital-return measure and does not resolve the company’s near-term growth challenges. Haleon Launches £500m Share Buyback to Cut Capital and Support Employee Plans
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter organic revenue growth was 2.6%, below expectations, prompting Haleon to cut its 2026 organic growth forecast to about 2.5% from the previous 3%–5% range. The downgrade is the main reason the stock declined sharply. Haleon drops after Q3 sales miss and lower 2026 growth outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Haleon cited weaker cough, cold and flu consumption in North America, disruption to OTC-registered Centrum products in China, and an expected fourth-quarter revenue hit from an accelerated go-to-market change in Brazil. These issues raise concerns about uneven demand and execution across key markets. Sensodyne maker Haleon cuts revenue growth forecast on weak flu season, China disruption

Haleon Company Profile

Haleon LSE / NYSE: HLN is a world-leading consumer health company, with a clear purpose to deliver better everyday health with humanity. In July 2022, it listed as an independent company on the London and New York Stock Exchanges. Haleon's product portfolio spans six major categories - Oral Health, Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements (VMS), Pain Relief, Respiratory Health, Digestive Health and Therapeutic Skin Health and Other. Its long-standing brands - such as Advil, Centrum, Otrivin, Panadol, parodontax, Polident, Sensodyne, Theraflu and Voltaren - are built on trusted science, innovation and deep human understanding.

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