Hays (LON:HAS) Shares Pass Above 200-Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Hays shares moved above their 200-day moving average on Thursday, trading as high as GBX 61.06 and last changing hands at GBX 59.48. The stock was up about 2% on the day.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed, with ratings ranging from Buy to Sell and a consensus view of Hold. MarketBeat puts the average target price at GBX 57.20, slightly below the recent trading level.
• Insiders have been buying stock, including large purchases by Mark Dearnley and Joe Hurd, while the company also approved a share repurchase program. These moves can signal management confidence in the company’s valuation.

Hays plc (LON:HAS - Get Free Report) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 38.80 and traded as high as GBX 61.06. Hays shares last traded at GBX 59.48, with a volume of 6,209,377 shares.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on HAS. Jefferies Financial Group restated an "underperform" rating and issued a GBX 28 price target on shares of Hays in a report on Thursday, May 21st. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a GBX 33 price objective on shares of Hays in a research report on Friday, July 3rd. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Hays from GBX 90 to GBX 75 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a GBX 60 target price on shares of Hays in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hays has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of GBX 57.20.

Hays Trading Up 2.0%

The company has a market cap of £933.78 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -90.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.24 and a beta of 0.77. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 37.14 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 38.80. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 65.55.

Hays declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Monday, June 1st that permits the company to repurchase 0 shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Hays news, insider Mark Dearnley acquired 485,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 30 per share, with a total value of £145,650. Also, insider Joe Hurd purchased 5,672 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 8th. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 35 per share, for a total transaction of £1,985.20. Insiders have bought 491,224 shares of company stock worth $14,765,184 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.81% of the company's stock.

About Hays

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