Future (LON:FUTR) Cut to "Hold" at Jefferies Financial Group

Key Points

• Jefferies downgraded Future to "Hold", cutting its price target from GBX 1,220 to GBX 466 — a level that implies about a 26% upside from the prior close.
• Shares fell about 12.1% to GBX 369; consensus remains a "Hold" with an average target of GBX 811, while JPMorgan trimmed its target to GBX 1,235 but kept an "overweight" rating.
• The board authorized a share repurchase plan and an insider bought 1,000 shares at GBX 518, while the company trades with a market cap of £342.9M and a low P/E of 5.94, suggesting valuation/recovery considerations.

Future (LON:FUTR - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at Jefferies Financial Group to a "hold" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,London Stock Exchange reports. They presently have a GBX 466 target price on the stock, down from their previous target price of GBX 1,220. Jefferies Financial Group's price objective indicates a potential upside of 26.29% from the company's previous close.

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Future from GBX 1,280 to GBX 1,235 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Future presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of GBX 811.33.

Future Stock Down 12.1%

Shares of LON FUTR opened at GBX 369 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of £342.90 million, a P/E ratio of 5.94, a PEG ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.22. The stock's fifty day moving average is GBX 452.98 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 555.24. Future has a 52 week low of GBX 361.52 and a 52 week high of GBX 806. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 32.47, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.96.

Future announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, December 4th that allows the company to repurchase 0 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Future

In other Future news, insider Ivana Kirkbride bought 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 518 per share, for a total transaction of £5,180. 5.68% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Future Company Profile

Future is a global platform for specialist media underpinned by proprietary technology, enabled by data; with diversified revenue streams

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