GSK PLC Sponsored ADR (NYSE:GSK) Shares Sold by Arjuna Capital

Key Points

• Arjuna Capital reduced its stake in GSK PLC by 25.3% during the first quarter, holding 123,330 shares after selling 41,736 shares, now constituting 1.3% of its investment portfolio.
• Several institutional investors increased their holdings in GSK, including HHM Wealth Advisors, which boosted its stake by 222.2% in the same quarter.
• Analysts’ consensus rating on GSK is currently a "Hold," with a price target of $37.38, while the company recently reported $1.23 earnings per share, exceeding expectations.

Arjuna Capital lowered its position in GSK PLC Sponsored ADR (NYSE:GSK - Free Report) by 25.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 123,330 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock after selling 41,736 shares during the period. GSK comprises approximately 1.3% of Arjuna Capital's investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Arjuna Capital's holdings in GSK were worth $4,778,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of GSK by 222.2% in the first quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 667 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 460 shares during the last quarter. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new stake in GSK in the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in GSK by 127.9% in the 1st quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 841 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 472 shares in the last quarter. Olde Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in GSK in the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in shares of GSK by 525.9% during the 1st quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 1,014 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 852 shares during the last quarter. 15.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Hsbc Global Res raised GSK to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. Berenberg Bank reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of GSK in a report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of GSK from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday. Finally, BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of GSK in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $35.25 price objective for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $37.38.

GSK Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE GSK opened at $36.79 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $75.05 billion, a PE ratio of 17.03, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.51. GSK PLC Sponsored ADR has a twelve month low of $31.72 and a twelve month high of $44.67. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $38.85 and a 200-day simple moving average of $37.75.

GSK (NYSE:GSK - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The pharmaceutical company reported $1.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.12 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $10.64 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.92 billion. GSK had a return on equity of 49.22% and a net margin of 10.81%. GSK's revenue was up 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.43 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that GSK PLC Sponsored ADR will post 4.14 earnings per share for the current year.

GSK Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a $0.4206 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. GSK's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 77.78%.

GSK Company Profile

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.

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