Kier Group (LON:KIE) Trading Up 6.6% - What's Next?

Key Points

• Kier Group plc shares rose by 6.6%, reaching a last traded price of GBX 204.69 ($2.79) with trading volume significantly increasing by 51% over the average.
• Berenberg Bank upgraded Kier Group's target price from GBX 210 to GBX 225, maintaining a "buy" rating amidst a consensus price target of GBX 225.
• The company reported earnings of GBX 21.60 per share for the most recent quarter, and analysts predict an earnings per share of 20.49 for the current year.

Kier Group plc (LON:KIE - Get Free Report) shares shot up 6.6% on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as GBX 211 ($2.84) and last traded at GBX 204.69 ($2.76). 3,934,629 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 51% from the average session volume of 2,610,104 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 192 ($2.59).

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Berenberg Bank increased their price objective on shares of Kier Group from GBX 225 to GBX 240 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Kier Group presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of GBX 240.

Kier Group Stock Down 1.4%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 302.83. The firm has a market cap of £924.23 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2,236.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.14. The stock's 50 day moving average is GBX 199.44 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 170.74.

Kier Group (LON:KIE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 16th. The company reported GBX 21.60 EPS for the quarter. Kier Group had a net margin of 1.09% and a return on equity of 8.23%. Analysts forecast that Kier Group plc will post 20.4913295 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Kier Group

In related news, insider Simon Kesterton sold 350,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 204, for a total transaction of £714,000. 1.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Kier Group

Kier Group is a leading infrastructure services, construction and property group based in the UK. Our purpose is to sustainably deliver infrastructure which is vital to the UK with a vision is to be the UK's leading infrastructure services and construction company. We operate through three segments; Infrastructure Services, Construction and Property.