Great Portland Estates Plc (LON:GPE) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Six brokerages give Great Portland Estates a consensus rating of Moderate Buy (three Buy, three Hold) with an average 12‑month price target of GBX 397.33.
• Insiders have been net buyers over the last three months, acquiring 52,552 shares (insiders own 1.53%), including Peter Duffy’s purchase of 19,965 shares at GBX 343 and Jayne Cottam’s 32,330 shares at GBX 309.
• Shares recently traded at GBX 277.40, near a 52‑week low of GBX 263.50 (52‑week high GBX 377), and the company trades at a PE of 7.60 with a market cap of about £1.12 billion.

Great Portland Estates Plc (LON:GPE - Get Free Report) has received a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the six ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is GBX 397.33.

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Berenberg Bank raised their price target on shares of Great Portland Estates from GBX 297 to GBX 377 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Shore Capital Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Great Portland Estates in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of Great Portland Estates from GBX 370 to GBX 340 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday.

Great Portland Estates Price Performance

Shares of LON:GPE traded up GBX 2.90 during trading on Monday, reaching GBX 277.40. 713,556 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,406,501. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 53.27. Great Portland Estates has a fifty-two week low of GBX 263.50 and a fifty-two week high of GBX 377. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 332.81 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 325.52. The firm has a market cap of £1.12 billion, a PE ratio of 7.60, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.82.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Peter Duffy bought 19,965 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was acquired at an average price of GBX 343 per share, for a total transaction of £68,479.95. Also, insider Jayne Cottam bought 32,330 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 309 per share, for a total transaction of £99,899.70. Over the last three months, insiders acquired 52,552 shares of company stock worth $16,924,240. Insiders own 1.53% of the company's stock.

About Great Portland Estates

GPE is a FTSE 250 real estate investor and developer. GPE aims to deliver superior returns by unlocking the often hidden potential in commercial real estate in central London, creating high quality sustainable spaces for its customers and long-term value for its stakeholders.

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