Essentra (LON:ESNT) Reaches New 52-Week Low - What's Next?

Key Points

• New 52-week low: Essentra shares fell to GBX 81 (last at GBX 81.46) on Thursday with 1,292,611 shares traded, trading well below its 50-day (GBX 95.37) and 200-day (GBX 98.52) moving averages.
• Analyst outlook: The consensus rating is "Moderate Buy" (four Buys, one Hold) with an average price target of GBX 150, though several brokers have trimmed targets recently (e.g., RBC and Deutsche Bank).
• Insider buying and valuation: Insiders purchased 79,354 shares last quarter (total value reported at $7,213,799), insiders own 0.48% of the stock, while the company has a market cap of £231.64M and a high trailing P/E of 116.38.

Essentra plc (LON:ESNT - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low on Thursday . The company traded as low as GBX 81 and last traded at GBX 81.46, with a volume of 1292611 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 81.40.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ESNT has been the topic of several recent research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on Essentra to GBX 130 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 130 target price on shares of Essentra in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on Essentra from GBX 150 to GBX 100 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 160 price target on shares of Essentra in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of GBX 150.

Essentra Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of £231.64 million, a PE ratio of 116.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a current ratio of 2.20, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 47.67. The business's fifty day moving average is GBX 95.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 98.52.

Essentra (LON:ESNT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, March 17th. The company reported GBX 6.10 EPS for the quarter. Essentra had a return on equity of 0.79% and a net margin of 0.70%. Equities research analysts predict that Essentra plc will post 524.137931 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Kath Durrant purchased 10,894 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 91 per share, with a total value of £9,913.54. Also, insider Scott Fawcett purchased 17,483 shares of Essentra stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 15th. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 86 per share, with a total value of £15,035.38. Insiders have purchased a total of 79,354 shares of company stock valued at $7,213,799 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.48% of the company's stock.

Essentra Company Profile

Essentra plc is a leading global provider of essential components and solutions, focusing on the manufacture and distribution of plastic injection moulded, vinyl dip moulded and metal items. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Essentra's global network extends to 28 countries worldwide and includes c.3,000 employees, 14 manufacturing facilities, 26 distribution centres and 37 sales & service centres serving c.64,000 customers with a rapid supply of low cost but essential products for a variety of applications in industries such as equipment manufacturing, automotive, fabrication, electronics, medical and renewable energy.

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