Marks and Spencer Group (LON:MKS) Stock Price Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Technical breakout: Marks & Spencer's share price crossed above its 200‑day moving average (200‑day MA GBX 352.35), trading as high as GBX 368.30 and last at GBX 363.30 on heavy volume (19,173,469 shares).
• Analyst sentiment: Five analysts rate MKS a Buy and two rate Hold, giving an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of GBX 415.83, with Citigroup raising its target to GBX 450.
• Valuation and fundamentals: The company has a market cap of £7.26bn but a very high P/E of 400.22 and a debt‑to‑equity ratio of 95.00; last reported quarterly EPS was GBX 6.60 and ROE was 17.23%.

Marks and Spencer Group plc (LON:MKS - Get Free Report)'s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 352.35 and traded as high as GBX 368.30. Marks and Spencer Group shares last traded at GBX 363.30, with a volume of 19,173,469 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on MKS shares. Citigroup increased their price target on Marks and Spencer Group from GBX 440 to GBX 450 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Marks and Spencer Group in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Shore Capital reissued a "house stock" rating on shares of Marks and Spencer Group in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered shares of Marks and Spencer Group to a "sector perform" rating and upped their price target for the stock from GBX 375 to GBX 400 in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Peel Hunt reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a GBX 360 price objective on shares of Marks and Spencer Group in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of GBX 415.83.

Marks and Spencer Group Price Performance

The company has a market cap of £7.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 400.22, a P/E/G ratio of 0.20 and a beta of 1.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 95.00. The business has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 336.57 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 352.35.

Marks and Spencer Group (LON:MKS - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The retailer reported GBX 6.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Marks and Spencer Group had a return on equity of 17.23% and a net margin of 3.77%. As a group, research analysts expect that Marks and Spencer Group plc will post 26.0113154 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Sean Doyle acquired 2,526 shares of Marks and Spencer Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 334 per share, with a total value of £8,436.84. Corporate insiders own 0.51% 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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