Bunzl (LON:BNZL) Shares Break Above 200-Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Bunzl shares broke above their 200-day moving average, reaching GBX 2,860 before trading around GBX 2,810, despite later being reported down 1.5%.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: two analysts rate the stock a Buy, three a Hold and one a Sell, producing a consensus rating of Hold.
• Bunzl reported quarterly EPS of GBX 65.70, while its fundamentals included a 4.82% net margin, 20.61% return on equity and 95.61% debt-to-equity ratio; insider Frank van Zanten also bought nearly £919,000 worth of shares.

Bunzl plc (LON:BNZL - Get Free Report) shares passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday. The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 2,584.11 and traded as high as GBX 2,860. Bunzl shares last traded at GBX 2,810, with a volume of 2,174,837 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have commented on BNZL. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Bunzl from £280 to £300 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Bunzl from GBX 2,610 to GBX 2,800 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an "underperform" rating and set a GBX 1,900 target price on shares of Bunzl in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a GBX 3,000 target price on shares of Bunzl in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and issued a GBX 2,600 price target on shares of Bunzl in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of GBX 7,108.33.

Bunzl Trading Down 1.5%

The company's 50 day simple moving average is GBX 2,701.43 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 2,584.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 95.61. The firm has a market cap of £8.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.61, a P/E/G ratio of 5.40 and a beta of 0.32.

Bunzl (LON:BNZL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 1st. The company reported GBX 65.70 EPS for the quarter. Bunzl had a return on equity of 20.61% and a net margin of 4.82%. As a group, research analysts predict that Bunzl plc will post 213.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Frank van Zanten bought 34,946 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 17th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of GBX 2,630 per share, with a total value of £919,079.80. Corporate insiders own 0.48% of the company's stock.

Bunzl Company Profile

Bunzl plc operates as a distribution and services company in the North America, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally. The company offers food packaging, films, labels, cleaning and hygiene supplies, and personal protection equipment to grocery stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores. It also provides food packaging, disposable tableware, guest amenities, catering equipment, agricultural supplies, cleaning and hygiene products, and safety items to hotels, restaurants, contract caterers, food processors, commercial growers, and the leisure sector; and gloves, boots, hard hats, ear and eye protection, and other workwear, as well as cleaning and hygiene supplies, and asset protection products to industrial and construction, and ecommerce sectors.

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