Hill & Smith (LON:HILS) Sets New 1-Year High - Here's Why

Key Points

• Hill & Smith shares hit a new 52-week high, trading as high as GBX 2,915 and last changing hands at GBX 2,905, up about 1.4% on the day.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive after Jefferies upgraded the stock to Buy and raised its target to GBX 3,250; the consensus rating is Moderate Buy with an average target price of GBX 2,976.67.
• Recent insider activity was mixed, with one insider selling shares in late May while another bought shares in early June, suggesting differing views within management.

Hill & Smith PLC (LON:HILS - Get Free Report)'s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as GBX 2,915 and last traded at GBX 2,905, with a volume of 54903 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 2,885.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on HILS. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Hill & Smith to a "buy" rating and lifted their price target for the company from GBX 2,760 to GBX 3,250 in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. Berenberg Bank reiterated a "buy" rating and set a GBX 2,750 price target on shares of Hill & Smith in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of Hill & Smith from GBX 2,625 to GBX 2,930 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of GBX 2,976.67.

Hill & Smith Stock Up 1.4%

The stock's fifty day moving average price is GBX 2,727.29 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 2,427.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.85, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 25.52. The stock has a market cap of £2.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.79 and a beta of 1.29.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hill & Smith

In other Hill & Smith news, insider Chris McLeish sold 2,682 shares of Hill & Smith stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 2,760, for a total transaction of £74,023.20. Also, insider Nick Anderson purchased 3,750 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 2,747 per share, with a total value of £103,012.50. 1.99% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hill & Smith Company Profile

Our purpose is to create sustainable infrastructure and safe transport through innovation. Hill & Smith PLC is an international group with leading positions in the supply of infrastructure products and galvanizing services to global markets. Through a focus on leading positions in niche markets we aim to consistently deliver strong returns and shareholder value. Supplying to, and located in, global markets the Group serves customers from facilities in Australia, India, Sweden, the UK and the USA, building a presence in international markets, where countries are upgrading or improving their infrastructure as their economies grow.

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