Global Ship Lease (NYSE:GSL) Shares Cross Above 200 Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• Technical breakout: Global Ship Lease (NYSE:GSL) crossed above its 200‑day moving average of $34.12, trading as high as $37.69 and last at $37.12 on volume of 359,373 shares.
• Analyst outlook: Ratings are mixed but the consensus is a Moderate Buy (three Buys, two Holds) with an average price target of $38.33, while B. Riley raised its target to $48 and reiterated a Buy.
• Fundamentals & dividend: Q4 EPS beat slightly at $2.32 and revenue rose 4.7% year‑over‑year; the stock trades at a P/E of 3.26, and pays a quarterly dividend of $0.625 (a 6.7% yield) with a ~22% payout ratio.

Shares of Global Ship Lease, Inc. (NYSE:GSL - Get Free Report) passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $34.12 and traded as high as $37.69. Global Ship Lease shares last traded at $37.1220, with a volume of 359,373 shares traded.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on GSL. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Global Ship Lease from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday. Zacks Research cut Global Ship Lease from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 23rd. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Global Ship Lease in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, B. Riley Financial increased their price target on shares of Global Ship Lease from $42.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Global Ship Lease currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $38.33.

Global Ship Lease Stock Down 0.8%

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $37.60 and a 200-day moving average price of $34.12. The company has a quick ratio of 2.14, a current ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30.

Global Ship Lease (NYSE:GSL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, March 6th. The shipping company reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $190.95 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.39 million. Global Ship Lease had a return on equity of 22.35% and a net margin of 54.33%.The company's revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Global Ship Lease, Inc. will post 9.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Global Ship Lease Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 24th were paid a dividend of $0.625 per share. This represents a $2.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 24th. Global Ship Lease's payout ratio is presently 21.95%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Global Ship Lease

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Samalin Investment Counsel LLC increased its position in Global Ship Lease by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Samalin Investment Counsel LLC now owns 23,127 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $810,000 after acquiring an additional 291 shares during the last quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC increased its stake in Global Ship Lease by 0.3% in the second quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 113,972 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $2,999,000 after purchasing an additional 347 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Global Ship Lease by 77.2% during the third quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 989 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 431 shares during the period. Prospera Financial Services Inc boosted its stake in shares of Global Ship Lease by 4.5% during the second quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 11,023 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $290,000 after purchasing an additional 477 shares during the period. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC grew its stake in Global Ship Lease by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 9,827 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $302,000 after acquiring an additional 485 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 50.08% of the company's stock.

Global Ship Lease Company Profile

Global Ship Lease NYSE: GSL is a Bermuda-based containership charter owner focused on acquiring, owning and leasing modern, fuel-efficient vessels to major liner operators. Founded in 2011 and listed on the New York Stock Exchange the same year, the company’s fleet primarily comprises post-Panamax containerships designed to serve the high-volume Asia–Europe and transpacific shipping lanes. By specializing in long-term charter agreements, Global Ship Lease aims to maintain stable revenue streams and minimize spot-market volatility.

The company’s business model centers on negotiating multi-year time charters with leading global shipping lines.

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