GSK plc (NYSE:GSK - Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading on Friday. Stock investors purchased 16,167 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 238% compared to the typical daily volume of 4,784 call options.
GSK Trading Up 0.9 %
Shares of NYSE:GSK traded up $0.41 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $45.08. The company had a trading volume of 3,770,690 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,491,175. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.87. GSK has a 1-year low of $33.33 and a 1-year high of $45.10. The firm has a market cap of $93.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $42.02 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $39.37.
GSK Increases Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 11th. Investors of record on Friday, May 17th will be paid a $0.3762 dividend. This is an increase from GSK's previous quarterly dividend of $0.36. This represents a $1.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.34%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 16th. GSK's dividend payout ratio is currently 53.26%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on GSK shares. Guggenheim upgraded GSK from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 4th. Citigroup upgraded GSK from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on GSK in a research report on Tuesday, January 23rd. They issued an "equal weight" rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on GSK
Institutional Investors Weigh In On GSK
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GSK. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of GSK by 7.0% during the 3rd quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 7,237 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $262,000 after purchasing an additional 473 shares in the last quarter. Advisor Partners II LLC raised its stake in shares of GSK by 20.6% in the 3rd quarter. Advisor Partners II LLC now owns 27,956 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $1,013,000 after acquiring an additional 4,766 shares in the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC raised its stake in shares of GSK by 8.5% in the 3rd quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 43,817 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $1,588,000 after acquiring an additional 3,419 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. raised its stake in shares of GSK by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. now owns 13,246 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $480,000 after acquiring an additional 387 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Peoples Bank KS bought a new position in shares of GSK in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $431,000. 15.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
About GSK
(
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GSK plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, and manufacture of vaccines, and specialty and general medicines to prevent and treat disease in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Commercial Operations and Total R&D.
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