Marks and Spencer Group (LON:MKS) Sets New 1-Year High - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Marks and Spencer shares hit a 52-week high, reaching GBX 431.90 and last trading at GBX 428.51, up from the previous close of GBX 414.20.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: six analysts rate the stock Buy and one Hold, giving it a “Moderate Buy” consensus. The average price target is GBX 437.14, with individual targets ranging as high as GBX 480.

Marks and Spencer Group plc (LON:MKS - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday. The stock traded as high as GBX 431.90 and last traded at GBX 428.51, with a volume of 69,210,227 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 414.20.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on MKS shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Marks and Spencer Group to an "overweight" rating and increased their target price for the stock from GBX 440 to GBX 450 in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 435 price target on shares of Marks and Spencer Group in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Marks and Spencer Group from GBX 390 to GBX 470 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a GBX 480 price objective on shares of Marks and Spencer Group in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. Finally, Shore Capital Group reaffirmed a "house stock" rating on shares of Marks and Spencer Group in a research note on Wednesday. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of GBX 437.14.

Marks and Spencer Group Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of £8.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.20 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 111.89, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.42. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is GBX 392.46 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 373.67.

Marks and Spencer Group Company Profile

M&S has a heritage of quality, innovation and value for money and has been voted the UK's most trusted brand. From these foundations, M&S is reshaping for sustainable profitable growth and value creation. We operate as a family of businesses, selling high-quality, great-value, own-brand products and services, alongside a carefully selected range of third-party brands. We do this through a network of stores and websites globally, and together, across our stores, support centres, warehouses and supply chain, our 65,000 colleagues serve over 30 million customers each year.

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