Metro (TSE:MRU) Price Target Cut to C$105.00 by Analysts at National Bank Financial

Key Points

• National Bank Financial cut its price target on Metro (TSE:MRU) from C$106.00 to C$105.00 and kept a "sector perform" rating, with the target implying about a 16.65% upside from the current share price.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but leans neutral: MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of Hold with an average target of C$103.63, after several firms (BMO, Scotiabank, CIBC, TD, RBC) adjusted targets and ratings in recent reports.
• Metro traded at C$90.01 (down 0.4%) with a market cap of C$19.19 billion and a P/E of 19.91; insiders sold 11,844 shares worth about C$1,096,119 over the last 90 days, leaving insiders with roughly 0.14% ownership.

Metro (TSE:MRU - Get Free Report) had its price target dropped by investment analysts at National Bank Financial from C$106.00 to C$105.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage presently has a "sector perform" rating on the stock. National Bank Financial's target price points to a potential upside of 16.65% from the stock's current price.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on MRU. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on Metro from C$110.00 to C$105.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Scotiabank cut Metro from an "outperform" rating to a "hold" rating and set a C$103.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce reduced their price target on Metro from C$101.00 to C$97.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Metro from C$112.00 to C$113.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, TD Securities reduced their price target on Metro from C$118.00 to C$113.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of C$103.63.

Metro Stock Down 0.4%

MRU traded down C$0.34 during trading on Thursday, reaching C$90.01. 241,381 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 529,125. The stock has a market cap of C$19.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.06 and a beta of 0.34. Metro has a fifty-two week low of C$89.30 and a fifty-two week high of C$109.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 69.33, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 0.41. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is C$95.34 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is C$96.29.

Metro (TSE:MRU - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The company reported C$1.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of C$5.11 billion during the quarter. Metro had a return on equity of 13.93% and a net margin of 4.44%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Metro will post 4.8188614 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Metro news, insider Dan Gabbard sold 2,978 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$96.67, for a total value of C$287,883.26. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 12,344 shares of the company's stock, valued at C$1,193,294.48. The trade was a 19.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Also, insider Genevi�Ve Bich sold 4,418 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$91.13, for a total value of C$402,612.34. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 35,677 shares of the company's stock, valued at C$3,251,245.01. This represents a 11.02% decrease in their position. Insiders sold 11,844 shares of company stock worth $1,096,119 over the last ninety days. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Metro

Metro is one of the largest grocery retailers in Canada. With its 2018 acquisition of Jean Coutu, it also boasts a meaningful drugstore footprint. Noteworthy grocery banners include Metro, Metro Plus, Super C, and Food Basics, while its pharmacies primarily operate under the Jean Coutu and Brunet trademarks. It utilizes an array of business models, but it most frequently acts as either a retailer, operating individual stores, or a franchiser, licensing its trademarks and supplying merchandise to franchisees.

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