Phoenix Group (LON:PHNX) Hits New 52-Week High - Still a Buy?

Phoenix Group Holdings plc (LON:PHNX - Get Free Report)'s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as GBX 621 ($8.29) and last traded at GBX 620.50 ($8.29), with a volume of 2828729 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 617.50 ($8.25).

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on PHNX. Berenberg Bank reissued a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 650 ($8.68) target price on shares of Phoenix Group in a research note on Monday, February 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Phoenix Group from GBX 500 ($6.68) to GBX 565 ($7.55) and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Friday, March 28th.

Phoenix Group Price Performance

The company's 50-day moving average is GBX 574.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 531.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 160.32, a current ratio of 3.30 and a quick ratio of 0.12. The firm has a market cap of £6.20 billion, a P/E ratio of -11.89, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.73.

Phoenix Group (LON:PHNX - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, March 18th. The company reported GBX 45.40 ($0.61) EPS for the quarter. Phoenix Group had a negative net margin of 2.10% and a negative return on equity of 21.76%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Phoenix Group Holdings plc will post 51.179941 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Phoenix Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 24th will be issued a GBX 27.35 ($0.37) dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 24th. This represents a dividend yield of 4.66%. This is a boost from Phoenix Group's previous dividend of $26.65. Phoenix Group's dividend payout ratio is -101.58%.

Insider Transactions at Phoenix Group

In related news, insider Andrew Briggs sold 151,586 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 582 ($7.77), for a total value of £882,230.52 ($1,178,349.83). Company insiders own 14.96% of the company's stock.

About Phoenix Group

Phoenix is the UK's largest long-term savings and retirement business with c. £300 billion of assets under administration and c. 12 million customers. We are a constituent of the FTSE 100 with c. 7,800 colleagues and offer a broad range of products to support people across all stages of the savings life cycle. We are a growing and sustainable business with a clear purpose – helping people secure a life of possibilities.

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