Balfour Beatty (LON:BBY) Stock Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Balfour Beatty plc (LON:BBY - Get Free Report)'s stock price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 453.73 ($6.16) and traded as high as GBX 507.50 ($6.89). Balfour Beatty shares last traded at GBX 503 ($6.83), with a volume of 654,423 shares traded.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Berenberg Bank reiterated a "buy" rating and set a GBX 510 ($6.93) price target on shares of Balfour Beatty in a research note on Monday, March 17th.

Balfour Beatty Price Performance

The company has a market cap of £2.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.65, a PEG ratio of 3.75 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 79.85. The company's 50 day moving average price is GBX 458.59 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 453.73.

Balfour Beatty (LON:BBY - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 12th. The company reported GBX 43.60 ($0.59) EPS for the quarter. Balfour Beatty had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 19.46%. Equities research analysts forecast that Balfour Beatty plc will post 43.3100698 earnings per share for the current year.

Balfour Beatty Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be issued a GBX 8.70 ($0.12) dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 1.92%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 15th. This is an increase from Balfour Beatty's previous dividend of $3.80. Balfour Beatty's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.02%.

Balfour Beatty declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Wednesday, March 12th that authorizes the company to repurchase 0 shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Philip Harrison sold 155,560 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 434 ($5.89), for a total value of £675,130.40 ($916,798.48). Insiders own 1.15% of the company's stock.

Balfour Beatty Company Profile

Balfour Beatty is a leading international infrastructure group. With 26,000 employees across the UK, US and Hong Kong, we're leading the transformation of our industry to meet the challenges of the future. Trusted by our customers to deliver sustainable solutions and strengthen communities, we finance, develop, build, maintain and operate the increasingly complex and critical infrastructure that supports national economies and deliver projects at the heart of local communities.