Marks and Spencer Group plc (LON:MKS) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts give Marks & Spencer a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from eight brokerages (six buys, two holds), with an average 12‑month target price of GBX 416.43.
• Shares opened at GBX 343.45, trading below the 50‑day (GBX 365.30) and 200‑day (GBX 361.60) moving averages, with a 52‑week range of GBX 315.30–411.80.
• Insider Stuart Machin sold 150,000 shares at GBX 404 (≈£606,000), and corporate insiders now own about 0.50% of the stock.

Shares of Marks and Spencer Group plc (LON:MKS - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the eight brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is GBX 416.43.

A number of analysts have commented on MKS shares. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a GBX 440 target price on shares of Marks and Spencer Group in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Marks and Spencer Group in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Berenberg Bank raised shares of Marks and Spencer Group to a "buy" rating and lifted their price target for the stock from GBX 412 to GBX 415 in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Shore Capital Group reissued a "house stock" rating on shares of Marks and Spencer Group in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Marks and Spencer Group to GBX 430 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 19th.

Marks and Spencer Group Price Performance

MKS opened at GBX 343.45 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 365.30 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 361.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 121.22, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.81. Marks and Spencer Group has a 52 week low of GBX 315.30 and a 52 week high of GBX 411.80. The firm has a market capitalization of £6.95 billion, a PE ratio of 381.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.20 and a beta of 1.08.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marks and Spencer Group

In other news, insider Stuart Machin sold 150,000 shares of Marks and Spencer Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 404, for a total transaction of £606,000. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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