Next (OTCMKTS:NXGPY) Sees Strong Trading Volume - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Next PLC saw unusually strong mid-day trading activity — about 833 shares changed hands (a 54% increase from the prior session), with the stock last trading at $85.00 versus a prior close of $83.59.
• Analyst sentiment has weakened recently: Jefferies and Zacks have both downgraded Next from Strong-Buy to Hold, leaving the stock with an average rating of Hold.
• Technically the stock is trading below its 50-day ($88.37) and 200-day ($89.67) simple moving averages, while fundamentals show a debt-to-equity of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.74.

Next PLC (OTCMKTS:NXGPY - Get Free Report) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 833 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 54% from the previous session's volume of 541 shares.The stock last traded at $85.00 and had previously closed at $83.59.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on NXGPY. Jefferies Financial Group cut Next from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Zacks Research cut Next from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold".

Next Price Performance

The company's 50-day simple moving average is $88.37 and its 200 day simple moving average is $89.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.74 and a quick ratio of 1.16.

About Next

Next is a UK-based retail group best known for its clothing, footwear and homeware offerings sold through a combination of physical stores, online channels and catalog services. The company markets predominantly its own-label fashion and lifestyle ranges across women's, men's and children's apparel, together with footwear, accessories and home products. Its multi-channel model aims to integrate in-store merchandising with e-commerce and direct-to-consumer catalogue sales to reach a broad customer base.

Operations combine a network of domestic stores in the UK with international presence delivered largely through franchise and partner arrangements, plus a global e-commerce platform that ships to multiple markets.

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