Grafton Group (LON:GFTU) Hits New 1-Year High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Grafton Group reached a new 52-week high, trading as high as GBX 1,055.80 before closing near GBX 1,037.20, with more than 10.7 million shares changing hands.
• Analysts remain positive: six analysts rate the stock a Buy, while recent price targets range from GBX 1,150 to GBX 1,275. MarketBeat reports a consensus Buy rating.
• The company has a £2.40 billion market capitalization, a P/E ratio of 11.33, and current and quick ratios of 2.11 and 1.56, respectively; its shares are trading above both the 50-day and 200-day moving averages.

Grafton Group plc (LON:GFTU - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high on Friday . The company traded as high as GBX 1,055.80 and last traded at GBX 1,037.20, with a volume of 10745424 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 1,038.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GFTU has been the topic of several research reports. Peel Hunt reiterated a "buy" rating and set a GBX 1,160 price target on shares of Grafton Group in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Berenberg Bank raised their price objective on shares of Grafton Group from GBX 1,000 to GBX 1,150 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 1,275 target price on shares of Grafton Group in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Grafton Group from £115 to £110 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, June 19th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of GBX 2,825.

Grafton Group Trading Down 0.1%

The company has a market capitalization of £2.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 37.55, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 2.11. The business's 50-day simple moving average is GBX 960.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 919.91.

Grafton Group announced that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Tuesday, June 30th that allows the company to buyback 0 shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Grafton Group Company Profile

Grafton Group plc engages in the distribution, retailing, and manufacturing businesses in Ireland, the Netherlands, Finland, and the United Kingdom. Its Distribution segment distributes building materials, paint, tools, ironmongery, fixings, and accessories, workwear and PPE, and spare parts; materials and plant for mechanical services, heating, plumbing, and air movement; and trade, DIY, and self-build markets with building materials, timber, doors and floors, plumbing and heating, bathrooms, and landscaping products under the Selco, Leyland SDM, Chadwicks, MacBlair, Isero, Polvo, Gunters en Meuser, TG Lynes, and IKH brands.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source