GSK (NYSE:GSK) Earns Neutral Rating from Analysts at BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of GSK (NYSE:GSK - Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage issued a neutral rating and a $35.25 target price on the pharmaceutical company's stock.

Several other brokerages have also commented on GSK. StockNews.com upgraded GSK from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of GSK in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an "equal weight" rating for the company. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, GSK currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $40.58.

GSK Trading Up 1.5 %

Shares of GSK traded up $0.55 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $35.92. 4,812,738 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,662,590. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $37.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $36.08. GSK has a 52 week low of $31.72 and a 52 week high of $45.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $74.10 billion, a PE ratio of 22.59, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a current ratio of 0.78.

GSK (NYSE:GSK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The pharmaceutical company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.15. GSK had a net margin of 8.13% and a return on equity of 48.59%. On average, analysts predict that GSK will post 4.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

GSK Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 21st were issued a dividend of $0.3932 per share. This is an increase from GSK's previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.57 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.38%. GSK's dividend payout ratio is presently 100.63%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On GSK

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Indiana Trust & Investment Management Co increased its holdings in GSK by 200.0% during the 4th quarter. Indiana Trust & Investment Management Co now owns 750 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new stake in GSK during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. raised its position in GSK by 195.5% in the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 789 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 522 shares during the last quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in GSK during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in GSK by 470.1% during the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 992 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 818 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 15.74% of the company's stock.

About GSK

GSK plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, and manufacture of vaccines, and specialty and general medicines to prevent and treat disease in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Commercial Operations and Total R&D.