Jefferies Financial Group Lowers Hays (LON:HAS) Price Target to GBX 61

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group has lowered its price target for Hays (LON:HAS) from GBX 85 to GBX 61, maintaining a "hold" rating on the stock, which indicates a potential upside of 6.18% from the previous close.
• Several analysts have also adjusted their ratings, with Royal Bank of Canada setting a new target of GBX 95 and Citigroup reducing its target to GBX 90, reflecting a mix of ratings among investment firms.
• Hays reported earnings of GBX 1.31 per share for the last quarter and has a negative net margin of 0.07% and a negative return on equity of 0.84%.

Hays (LON:HAS - Get Free Report) had its target price cut by equities researchers at Jefferies Financial Group from GBX 85 to GBX 61 in a report released on Thursday,London Stock Exchange reports. The brokerage currently has a "hold" rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price objective suggests a potential upside of 6.18% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Hays from GBX 100 to GBX 95 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 22nd. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a GBX 70 target price on shares of Hays in a research report on Friday, August 15th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Hays from GBX 110 to GBX 90 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Hays presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of GBX 79.

Hays Price Performance

Shares of HAS opened at GBX 57.45 on Thursday. Hays has a twelve month low of GBX 55.70 and a twelve month high of GBX 96.60. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is GBX 63.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 69.70. The firm has a market capitalization of £914.56 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -11,724.49, a PEG ratio of 0.24 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 43.81.

Hays (LON:HAS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 21st. The company reported GBX 1.31 earnings per share for the quarter. Hays had a negative net margin of 0.07% and a negative return on equity of 0.84%. Equities analysts forecast that Hays will post 4.0966184 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Hays news, insider Michael Findlay acquired 34,382 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 19th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 58 per share, with a total value of £19,941.56. Also, insider Dirk Hahn acquired 364,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 28th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 62 per share, for a total transaction of £225,680. In the last three months, insiders have acquired 563,720 shares of company stock valued at $35,010,128. Insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

Hays Company Profile

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