GSK plc (NYSE:GSK) Receives Average Rating of "Hold" from Brokerages

Shares of GSK plc (NYSE:GSK - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of "Hold" from the eleven brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have issued a hold recommendation and two have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $37.38.

A number of research firms have recently commented on GSK. Berenberg Bank reissued a "hold" rating on shares of GSK in a report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on GSK in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an "equal weight" rating on the stock. Hsbc Global Res upgraded shares of GSK to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. Wall Street Zen lowered GSK from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 30th. Finally, BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of GSK in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $35.25 target price for the company.

Institutional Trading of GSK

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of GSK by 1.8% during the first quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 15,227 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $590,000 after purchasing an additional 271 shares during the period. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC grew its holdings in shares of GSK by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 11,506 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $389,000 after buying an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group increased its position in shares of GSK by 4.6% during the first quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group now owns 6,407 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $248,000 after acquiring an additional 279 shares in the last quarter. First PREMIER Bank raised its holdings in shares of GSK by 6.5% in the 1st quarter. First PREMIER Bank now owns 4,659 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $181,000 after acquiring an additional 286 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northwest Bank & Trust Co lifted its holdings in shares of GSK by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Northwest Bank & Trust Co now owns 22,405 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $765,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares in the last quarter. 15.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

GSK Price Performance

NYSE:GSK traded up $0.07 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $41.22. 3,225,577 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,818,059. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.52. GSK has a 1-year low of $31.72 and a 1-year high of $44.67. The company has a market capitalization of $85.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.92, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.51. The business has a 50 day moving average of $37.53 and a 200 day moving average of $36.34.

GSK (NYSE:GSK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The pharmaceutical company reported $1.13 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $10.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.52 billion. GSK had a return on equity of 48.59% and a net margin of 8.13%. GSK's revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.43 EPS. Research analysts forecast that GSK will post 4.14 EPS for the current year.

GSK Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.4216 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $1.69 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.09%. This is a positive change from GSK's previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. GSK's dividend payout ratio is currently 86.60%.

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.