GSK PLC Sponsored ADR (NYSE:GSK) Shares Bought by Equity Investment Corp

Equity Investment Corp boosted its position in GSK PLC Sponsored ADR (NYSE:GSK - Free Report) by 5.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,174,189 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock after acquiring an additional 211,608 shares during the quarter. GSK accounts for 3.6% of Equity Investment Corp's investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Equity Investment Corp owned 0.20% of GSK worth $161,708,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group boosted its holdings in shares of GSK by 4.6% in the first quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group now owns 6,407 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $248,000 after buying an additional 279 shares during the period. First PREMIER Bank lifted its position in GSK by 6.5% in the 1st quarter. First PREMIER Bank now owns 4,659 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $181,000 after acquiring an additional 286 shares in the last quarter. Northwest Bank & Trust Co boosted its stake in GSK by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Northwest Bank & Trust Co now owns 22,405 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $765,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in GSK by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 18,403 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $713,000 after purchasing an additional 386 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC raised its stake in shares of GSK by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 12,272 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $475,000 after purchasing an additional 396 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 15.74% of the company's stock.

GSK Stock Up 1.2%

NYSE GSK traded up $0.44 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $38.26. 6,322,981 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,032,958. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.87. The business's 50-day moving average is $38.97 and its 200-day moving average is $37.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.50. GSK PLC Sponsored ADR has a twelve month low of $31.72 and a twelve month high of $44.67.

GSK (NYSE:GSK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The pharmaceutical company reported $1.13 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.05. GSK had a return on equity of 48.82% and a net margin of 9.89%. The company had revenue of $10.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.52 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.43 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that GSK PLC Sponsored ADR will post 4.14 earnings per share for the current year.

GSK Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th were given a $0.4216 dividend. This represents a $1.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.41%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 16th. This is an increase from GSK's previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. GSK's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 88.14%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GSK has been the subject of several recent research reports. Hsbc Global Res raised GSK to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Monday, April 28th. BNP Paribas began coverage on GSK in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $35.25 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of GSK from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 30th. Finally, Berenberg Bank reissued a "hold" rating on shares of GSK in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $37.38.

About GSK

GSK plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, and manufacture of vaccines, and specialty and general medicines to prevent and treat disease in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Commercial Operations and Total R&D.