Bunzl (LON:BNZL) Stock Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Bunzl shares crossed above their 200-day moving average, reaching GBX 2,748 before closing at GBX 2,738, about 7% above the GBX 2,555.95 average.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: ratings include two Buys, three Holds and two Sells, resulting in a consensus “Hold” rating despite several analysts raising price targets.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of GBX 65.70, with a 4.82% net margin and 20.61% return on equity. Insider Frank van Zanten also purchased nearly £919,000 worth of shares, suggesting some management confidence.

Bunzl plc (LON:BNZL - Get Free Report)'s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 2,555.95 and traded as high as GBX 2,748. Bunzl shares last traded at GBX 2,738, with a volume of 1,299,536 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BNZL has been the subject of a number of research reports. Jefferies Financial Group restated an "underperform" rating and set a GBX 1,900 target price on shares of Bunzl in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Bunzl from £280 to £300 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "hold" rating and issued a GBX 3,000 price target on shares of Bunzl in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Bunzl from GBX 2,610 to GBX 2,800 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and set a GBX 2,600 price objective on shares of Bunzl in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of GBX 6,407.14.

Bunzl Stock Up 1.0%

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 company has a market cap of £8.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.13, a P/E/G ratio of 5.40 and a beta of 0.32. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 2,704.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 2,555.95.

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

Insider Activity

In other Bunzl news, insider Frank van Zanten bought 34,946 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 17th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 2,630 per share, with a total value of £919,079.80. 0.48% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Bunzl

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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