J Sainsbury (LON:SBRY) Shares Pass Above 200 Day Moving Average - What's Next?

Key Points

• J Sainsbury shares moved above their 200-day moving average, trading as high as GBX 340 and last changing hands at GBX 337.80 on heavy volume. This technical breakout may signal improving momentum for the stock.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but generally constructive, with four Buy ratings and two Hold ratings. Recent targets range from GBX 310 to GBX 375, while MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of Moderate Buy.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of GBX 22.30 and continues to carry modest profitability metrics, with a net margin of 1.14% and return on equity of 6.12%. Insider activity was also mixed, with one executive selling shares and another buying shares.

J Sainsbury plc (LON:SBRY - Get Free Report) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 327.75 and traded as high as GBX 340. J Sainsbury shares last traded at GBX 337.80, with a volume of 6,903,089 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on SBRY shares. Shore Capital Group reaffirmed a "house stock" rating on shares of J Sainsbury in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating and issued a GBX 310 price target on shares of J Sainsbury in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 360 price objective on shares of J Sainsbury in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Citigroup dropped their price objective on J Sainsbury from GBX 3,350 to GBX 3,300 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a GBX 375 target price on shares of J Sainsbury in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, J Sainsbury presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of GBX 847.50.

J Sainsbury Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 107.33. The firm has a market capitalization of £7.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.99, a PEG ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 1.00. The business has a 50 day moving average of GBX 312.65 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 327.75.

J Sainsbury (LON:SBRY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The grocer reported GBX 22.30 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of GBX 3,364.70 billion for the quarter. J Sainsbury had a net margin of 1.14% and a return on equity of 6.12%. Analysts anticipate that J Sainsbury plc will post 25.7241977 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at J Sainsbury

In related news, insider Bl á thnaid Bergin sold 110,092 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 328, for a total value of £361,101.76. Also, insider Katie Bickerstaffe bought 4,297 shares of J Sainsbury stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 347 per share, with a total value of £14,910.59. 0.44% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About J Sainsbury

J Sainsbury plc is one of the UK's leading food, general merchandise and clothing retailers. Offering delicious, great quality food at competitive prices has been at the heart of what we do since we opened our first store in 1869. Today, inspiring and delighting our customers with tasty food remains our priority. Our purpose is that driven by our passion for food, together we serve and help every customer. Our focus on great value food and convenient shopping, whether in-store or online is supported by our brands – Argos, Habitat, Tu, Nectar and Sainsbury's Bank.

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