Clarkson (LON:CKN) Reaches New 52-Week High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Clarkson hit a new 52-week high — the stock traded as high as GBX 4,870 (last GBX 4,864) on a volume of 392,290 shares.
• Analysts are generally positive — three Buy ratings and one Hold give a MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" with a consensus target of GBX 4,712.50, while Deutsche Bank and Berenberg raised targets to GBX 4,950 and GBX 5,250 respectively.
• Solid fundamentals and insider buying — market cap £1.49bn, PE 22.85, current/quick ratios around 1.78/1.69, and insider Constantin Cotzias bought 1,097 shares at GBX 4,624; insiders own 5.57%.

Clarkson PLC (LON:CKN - Get Free Report)'s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as GBX 4,870 and last traded at GBX 4,864, with a volume of 392290 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 4,766.45.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on CKN shares. Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a "hold" rating and issued a GBX 4,400 price target on shares of Clarkson in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on Clarkson from GBX 4,850 to GBX 4,950 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Finally, Berenberg Bank increased their price target on Clarkson from GBX 4,750 to GBX 5,250 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Clarkson currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of GBX 4,712.50.

Clarkson Stock Performance

The firm has a 50 day moving average of GBX 4,608.49 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 4,104.77. The stock has a market capitalization of £1.49 billion, a PE ratio of 22.85 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.66, a quick ratio of 1.69 and a current ratio of 1.78.

Clarkson (LON:CKN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 9th. The company reported GBX 225.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Clarkson had a return on equity of 12.93% and a net margin of 10.41%. Research analysts forecast that Clarkson PLC will post 283.011583 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Clarkson

In other news, insider Constantin Cotzias purchased 1,097 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 4,624 per share, with a total value of £50,725.28. Corporate insiders own 5.57% of the company's stock.

Clarkson Company Profile

Clarkson PLC provides integrated shipping services worldwide. The company's Broking segment offers services to shipowners and charterers in the transportation of various cargoes by sea; and to buyers and sellers/yards related to sale and purchase transactions, as well as futures broking operation. Its Financial segment provides investment banking services for maritime, oil services, and natural resources sectors; structured asset finance services and projects in the shipping, offshore, and real estate sectors; and project finance and bespoke asset finance solutions.

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