Intertek Group (LON:ITRK) Stock Price Up 12.5% - What's Next?

Key Points

• Shares jumped 12.5%, trading as high as GBX 4,379 and last at GBX 4,293.52, on a volume surge to about 43.55 million shares (≈+274% vs. average).
• The stock carries a “Moderate Buy” consensus with a consensus target of GBX 5,169.50 (three Buy, three Hold), though Citigroup and Jefferies recently trimmed their price targets while maintaining Buy ratings.
• Intertek has a market cap of £6.56bn, P/E ~19.8 and reported quarterly EPS of GBX 255.90 with ROE 31.07%, and insiders have been buying recently (e.g., Robin Freestone 2,455 shares), owning about 1.18% of the stock.

Intertek Group plc (LON:ITRK - Get Free Report)'s share price rose 12.5% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as GBX 4,379 and last traded at GBX 4,293.52. Approximately 43,554,023 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 274% from the average daily volume of 11,638,009 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 3,818.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ITRK has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Citigroup decreased their price target on Intertek Group from GBX 5,847 to GBX 5,717 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on Intertek Group from GBX 5,800 to GBX 4,800 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of GBX 5,169.50.

Intertek Group Stock Up 12.0%

The company has a market cap of £6.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.80, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.81. The stock's 50-day moving average price is GBX 4,064.78 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 4,498.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 152.20.

Intertek Group (LON:ITRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 3rd. The company reported GBX 255.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Intertek Group had a net margin of 10.01% and a return on equity of 31.07%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Intertek Group plc will post 263.7305699 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Intertek Group

In related news, insider Robin Freestone acquired 2,455 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 4,051 per share, with a total value of £99,452.05. Also, insider Kawal Preet acquired 160 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 3,710 per share, for a total transaction of £5,936. Over the last ninety days, insiders have purchased 4,479 shares of company stock worth $17,624,681. 1.18% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Intertek Group Company Profile

Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide. Our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices in more than 100 countries, delivers innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions for our customers' operations and supply chains. Intertek is a purpose-led company to Bring Quality, Safety and Sustainability to Life. We provide 24/7 mission-critical quality assurance solutions to our clients to ensure that they can operate with well-functioning supply chains in each of their operations. Our Customer Promise is: Intertek Total Quality Assurance expertise, delivered consistently, with precision, pace and passion, enabling our customers to power ahead safely.

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