Marks and Spencer Group (LON:MKS) Given Overweight Rating at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Key Points

• JPMorgan Chase & Co. has reaffirmed an "overweight" rating for Marks and Spencer Group (LON:MKS), indicating a positive outlook on the company's stock performance.
• Marks and Spencer's shares opened at GBX 343.70 ($4.59) with a twelve-month range between GBX 299.50 and GBX 417.80, reflecting notable price volatility.
• Insiders, including Alison Dolan and Stuart Machin, sold a significant amount of shares on July 17, indicating potential confidence issues among company leadership, with Machin selling 833,949 shares valued over £2.77 million.

Marks and Spencer Group (LON:MKS - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "overweight" rating reaffirmed by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a research note issued on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports.

MKS has been the topic of several other reports. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on shares of Marks and Spencer Group from GBX 420 ($5.57) to GBX 400 ($5.31) and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Shore Capital reissued a "house stock" rating on shares of Marks and Spencer Group in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st.

Marks and Spencer Group Stock Down 1.6%

LON MKS traded down GBX 5.70 ($0.08) on Wednesday, reaching GBX 342.30 ($4.54). The company had a trading volume of 27,344,213 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,560,174. The firm has a market capitalization of £6.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.20 and a beta of 1.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 95.00, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.82. Marks and Spencer Group has a 1-year low of GBX 299.50 ($3.98) and a 1-year high of GBX 417.80 ($5.55). The company's fifty day moving average is GBX 355.20 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 357.49.

Marks and Spencer Group (LON:MKS - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 21st. The retailer reported GBX 31.90 ($0.42) earnings per share for the quarter. Marks and Spencer Group had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 17.23%. On average, research analysts forecast that Marks and Spencer Group will post 26.0113154 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Marks and Spencer Group

In other news, insider Stuart Machin sold 833,949 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 333 ($4.42), for a total value of £2,777,050.17 ($3,686,023.59). Also, insider Alison Dolan sold 116,632 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 333 ($4.42), for a total transaction of £388,384.56 ($515,509.11). 0.87% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Marks and Spencer Group

M&S has a heritage of quality, innovation and value for money and has been voted the UK's most trusted brand. From these foundations, M&S is reshaping for sustainable profitable growth and value creation. We operate as a family of businesses, selling high-quality, great-value, own-brand products and services, alongside a carefully selected range of third-party brands.