Bunzl plc (LON:BNZL) Given Consensus Rating of "Hold" by Analysts

Shares of Bunzl plc (LON:BNZL - Get Free Report) have earned an average recommendation of "Hold" from the six brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is GBX 3,375 ($45.34).

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Citigroup raised shares of Bunzl to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Shore Capital reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Bunzl in a research note on Monday, March 31st.

Bunzl Price Performance

Bunzl stock traded down GBX 2.81 ($0.04) during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching GBX 2,296 ($30.85). 1,417,957 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,421,665. The company has a market cap of £7.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.40 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 123.00. Bunzl has a twelve month low of GBX 2,218 ($29.80) and a twelve month high of GBX 3,732 ($50.14). The stock has a 50 day moving average of GBX 2,916.92 and a two-hundred day moving average of GBX 3,259.03.

Bunzl (LON:BNZL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 3rd. The company reported GBX 194.30 ($2.61) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Bunzl had a net margin of 4.20% and a return on equity of 16.82%. Equities analysts expect that Bunzl will post 213.3413462 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bunzl Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, May 22nd will be paid a GBX 53.80 ($0.72) dividend. This is a boost from Bunzl's previous dividend of $20.10. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 22nd. This represents a dividend yield of 1.8%. Bunzl's payout ratio is currently 48.39%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Frank van Zanten purchased 4,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 6th. The shares were acquired at an average price of GBX 3,037 ($40.80) per share, with a total value of £121,480 ($163,213.76). Also, insider Daniela Barone Soares purchased 431 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, April 28th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 2,307 ($31.00) per share, for a total transaction of £9,943.17 ($13,359.09). Insiders have acquired a total of 12,910 shares of company stock valued at $32,966,219 over the last 90 days. 0.84% of the stock is owned by 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.