Essentra (LON:ESNT) Trading Down 7.2% on Insider Selling

Key Points

• Shares fell about 7.2% intraday to GBX 87 after insider Scott Fawcett sold 21,279 shares at GBX 90 (≈£19,151), with trading volume (~735k) about 51% below average.
• Analysts remain largely positive—five firms rate Essentra a Buy and the consensus price target is GBX 164 despite recent downgrades from some brokers.
• Valuation and fundamentals are mixed: market cap ~£243.7m, a very high P/E of 122.43 and slim net margin (0.7%), alongside a low quick ratio (0.50) and debt-to-equity of 47.67.

Essentra plc (LON:ESNT - Get Free Report) shares were down 7.2% during trading on Monday after an insider sold shares in the company. The stock traded as low as GBX 85.80 and last traded at GBX 87. Approximately 734,978 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 51% from the average daily volume of 1,511,694 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 93.75.

Specifically, insider Scott Fawcett sold 21,279 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 90, for a total transaction of £19,151.10.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on ESNT shares. Berenberg Bank reiterated a "buy" rating and set a GBX 160 price target on shares of Essentra in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on Essentra to GBX 130 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on Essentra from GBX 165 to GBX 150 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Essentra in a report on Friday, March 20th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of GBX 164.

Essentra Trading Down 8.6%

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 company has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 98.44 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 99.78. The company has a market capitalization of £243.69 million, a PE ratio of 122.43, a PEG ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 0.90.

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

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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