54,345 Shares in GSK plc (NYSE:GSK) Purchased by China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd.

China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of GSK plc (NYSE:GSK - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 54,345 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock, valued at approximately $2,032,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in GSK by 2,816.7% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 700 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 676 shares during the period. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new position in GSK in the second quarter worth $28,000. BKM Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in GSK in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in GSK by 271.8% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 885 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 647 shares during the period. Finally, Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its holdings in GSK by 61.3% in the first quarter. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 968 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 368 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 15.74% of the company's stock.

GSK Price Performance

GSK stock traded down $0.69 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $40.86. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,634,109 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,502,376. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $41.95 and its 200-day moving average price is $38.55. GSK plc has a 12 month low of $33.33 and a 12 month high of $43.84. The company has a market capitalization of $84.09 billion, a PE ratio of 13.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.64.

GSK (NYSE:GSK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The pharmaceutical company reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.76 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.79 billion. GSK had a return on equity of 51.45% and a net margin of 16.24%. Analysts anticipate that GSK plc will post 4.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

GSK Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.3564 per share. This represents a $1.43 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.49%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 22nd. This is an increase from GSK's previous quarterly dividend of $0.34. GSK's payout ratio is presently 52.82%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GSK has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of GSK from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of GSK in a research note on Tuesday, January 23rd. They set an "equal weight" rating on the stock. Guggenheim upgraded shares of GSK from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 4th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded shares of GSK from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy".

GSK Company Profile

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.