Essentra (LON:ESNT) Hits New 1-Year High - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Essentra shares hit a new 52-week high, reaching GBX 124 and last trading at GBX 121.11, up from a previous close of GBX 113 on heavy volume.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: three analysts rate the stock Buy, one rates it Hold, and the consensus rating is “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of GBX 130. RBC, Berenberg, and Jefferies each set targets of GBX 140.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of GBX 7.20, but profitability remained modest, with a 1.71% net margin and 2.02% return on equity. Essentra has a £342.54 million market capitalization and trades at a P/E ratio of 48.45.

Shares of Essentra plc (LON:ESNT - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday. The company traded as high as GBX 124 and last traded at GBX 121.11, with a volume of 1,958,413 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 113.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on Essentra from GBX 130 to GBX 140 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Berenberg Bank reduced their price target on Essentra from GBX 160 to GBX 140 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a GBX 140 price objective on shares of Essentra in a research note on Thursday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of GBX 130.

Essentra Stock Performance

The business's fifty day moving average price is GBX 109.94 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 95.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 53.28, a current ratio of 2.33 and a quick ratio of 0.50. The stock has a market capitalization of £342.54 million, a PE ratio of 48.45, a P/E/G ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 0.86.

Essentra (LON:ESNT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported GBX 7.20 EPS for the quarter. Essentra had a net margin of 1.71% and a return on equity of 2.02%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Essentra plc will post 524.14 EPS for the current year.

About Essentra

Essentra plc is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of essential components and solutions, focusing on the manufacture and distribution of plastic injection moulded, vinyl dip moulded and metal items. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Essentra's global network extends to 27 countries worldwide and includes c.3,000 employees, 16 manufacturing facilities, 27 distribution centres and 37 sales & service centres serving c.64,000 customers with a rapid supply of low cost but essential products for a variety of applications in industries such as equipment manufacturing, automotive, fabrication, electronics, medical and renewable energy.

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