Hays (LON:HAS) Given Underperform Rating at Jefferies Financial Group

Key Points

• Jefferies reaffirmed its “underperform” rating on Hays and set a GBX 45 price target, implying 22.88% downside from the reported current price.
• Analyst views remain mixed: Hays has a consensus “hold” rating and an average price target of GBX 64.60, with ratings ranging from buy to sell.
• Hays shares opened at GBX 58.35 after falling 2.2%; the company reported negative quarterly EPS of GBX 3.64 and negative net margin and return on equity.

Hays (LON:HAS - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "underperform" rating restated by analysts at Jefferies Financial Group in a research note issued on Thursday, Digital Look reports. They presently have a GBX 45 target price on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price objective would indicate a potential downside of 22.88% from the company's current price.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Citigroup upped their price objective on Hays from GBX 33 to GBX 65 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Hays from GBX 60 to GBX 85 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Hays from GBX 60 to GBX 95 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and issued a GBX 33 price target on shares of Hays in a research note on Friday, July 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of GBX 64.60.

Hays Stock Down 2.2%

Shares of HAS stock opened at GBX 58.35 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 60.68, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 1.31. Hays has a one year low of GBX 28.68 and a one year high of GBX 78.45. The company's fifty day moving average price is GBX 64.87 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 47.29. The company has a market capitalization of £917.92 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -16.03, a PEG ratio of 0.24 and a beta of 0.77.

Hays (LON:HAS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The company reported GBX (3.64) earnings per share for the quarter. Hays had a negative return on equity of 13.31% and a negative net margin of 0.91%. Sell-side analysts expect that Hays will post 4.10 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hays news, insider James Hilton sold 63,122 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 67, for a total transaction of £42,291.74. Insiders own 0.76% of the company's stock.

Hays Company Profile

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