Marks and Spencer Group (LON:MKS) Share Price Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Marks and Spencer shares rose above their 200-day moving average, trading as high as GBX 400.62 and last changing hands around GBX 400, compared with the 200-day average of GBX 362.78.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive view, with six Buy ratings and two Holds producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of GBX 422.50. JPMorgan recently upgraded the stock to Overweight with a GBX 450 target, while Citigroup cut its target to GBX 390.
• Recent insider activity was negative, as executives Alison Dolan and Stuart Machin sold shares worth approximately £305,150 and £2.15 million, respectively; insiders own 0.45% of the company.

Shares of Marks and Spencer Group plc (LON:MKS - Get Free Report) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 362.78 and traded as high as GBX 400.62. Marks and Spencer Group shares last traded at GBX 400, with a volume of 7,624,499 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on MKS shares. Shore Capital Group reissued a "house stock" rating on shares of Marks and Spencer Group in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Citigroup decreased their price target on Marks and Spencer Group from GBX 410 to GBX 390 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 440 price objective on shares of Marks and Spencer Group in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Marks and Spencer Group to an "overweight" rating and boosted their price objective for the company from GBX 440 to GBX 450 in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, UBS Group restated a "buy" rating and set a GBX 425 price objective on shares of Marks and Spencer Group in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Six 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, Marks and Spencer Group currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of GBX 422.50.

Marks and Spencer Group Price Performance

The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 370.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 362.78. The company has a market cap of £8.22 billion, a PE ratio of 32.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.20 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 111.89.

Marks and Spencer Group (LON:MKS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The retailer reported GBX 23.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Marks and Spencer Group had a return on equity of 8.86% and a net margin of 1.50%.The business had revenue of GBX 1,727.36 billion during the quarter. On average, equities analysts predict that Marks and Spencer Group plc will post 26.0113154 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marks and Spencer Group

In other Marks and Spencer Group news, insider Alison Dolan sold 85,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 359, for a total value of £305,150. Also, insider Stuart Machin sold 560,402 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 384, for a total value of £2,151,943.68. Corporate insiders own 0.45% of the company's stock.

Marks and Spencer Group Company Profile

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. We do this through a network of stores and websites globally, and together, across our stores, support centres, warehouses and supply chain, our 65,000 colleagues serve over 30 million customers each year.

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