Johnson Matthey (LON:JMAT) Trading Up 29% - Here's Why

Johnson Matthey PLC (LON:JMAT - Get Free Report) shot up 29% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as GBX 1,888 ($25.62) and last traded at GBX 1,792.32 ($24.32). 3,427,063 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 25% from the average session volume of 2,743,881 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 1,389 ($18.85).

Johnson Matthey Price Performance

The company has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 1,313.40 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 1,377.22. The stock has a market cap of £2.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.96, a PEG ratio of 49,242.50 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 62.73.

Johnson Matthey (LON:JMAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 22nd. The company reported GBX 149.20 ($2.02) earnings per share for the quarter. Johnson Matthey had a return on equity of 4.49% and a net margin of 0.84%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Johnson Matthey PLC will post 173.4112903 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Johnson Matthey Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 10th were given a GBX 32 ($0.43) dividend. This is a boost from Johnson Matthey's previous dividend of $22.00. This represents a yield of 1.88%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 10th. Johnson Matthey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 130.84%.

Insider Activity at Johnson Matthey

In related news, insider Liam Condon acquired 30 shares of Johnson Matthey stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 16th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 1,200 ($16.28) per share, with a total value of £360 ($488.47). Insiders have acquired a total of 75 shares of company stock worth $99,927 in the last three months. 0.61% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Johnson Matthey Company Profile

Johnson Matthey is a global leader in science that enables a cleaner and healthier world. With over 200 years of sustained commitment to innovation and technological breakthroughs, they improve the function, performance and safety of their customers' products. Their science has a global impact in areas such as low emission transport, pharmaceuticals, chemical processing and making the most efficient use of the planet's natural resources.