Crest Nicholson (LON:CRST) Hits New 12-Month Low - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• New 52-week low: Crest Nicholson fell to GBX 96.95 (last GBX 99.85), down about 4.3%, trading well below its 50- and 200-day moving averages (GBX 141.95 and GBX 148.08) and carrying a market cap of ~£256m with a high PE of 110.94.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but constructive overall — the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with a consensus price target of GBX 195, while individual targets range from GBX 160 (neutral) to GBX 230 (buy).
• Fundamentals and insider activity are mixed: profitability is very low (ROE 0.30%, net margin 0.36%) with expected FY EPS ~9.10, and insiders have both bought (9,538 shares at GBX 104) and sold (46,077 shares at GBX 151), owning 4.49% of the stock.

Crest Nicholson Holdings plc (LON:CRST - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as GBX 96.95 and last traded at GBX 99.85, with a volume of 2086989 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 104.30.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CRST has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a GBX 230 price objective on shares of Crest Nicholson in a report on Thursday, February 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Crest Nicholson from GBX 190 to GBX 160 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Crest Nicholson from GBX 205 to GBX 215 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of GBX 195.

Crest Nicholson Trading Down 4.3%

The company has a market capitalization of £256.26 million, a PE ratio of 110.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 24.15, a current ratio of 2.63 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The company's fifty day moving average is GBX 141.95 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 148.08.

Crest Nicholson (LON:CRST - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported GBX 7.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Crest Nicholson had a return on equity of 0.30% and a net margin of 0.36%. On average, analysts anticipate that Crest Nicholson Holdings plc will post 9.0980939 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Gillian Kent purchased 9,538 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 23rd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 104 per share, for a total transaction of £9,919.52. Also, insider Martyn Clark sold 46,077 shares of Crest Nicholson stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 151, for a total transaction of £69,576.27. Insiders acquired 10,250 shares of company stock worth $1,091,836 in the last quarter. 4.49% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Crest Nicholson Company Profile

Crest Nicholson Holdings plc engages in building residential homes in the United Kingdom. It develops and sells apartments, houses, and commercial properties. The company was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Addlestone, the United Kingdom.

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