Marks and Spencer Group (LON:MKS) Shares Cross Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• Marks and Spencer shares moved above their 200-day moving average, reaching GBX 387.10 before last trading at GBX 380, compared with the 200-day average of GBX 367.24.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive: six analysts rate the stock “Buy” and two rate it “Hold,” producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of GBX 432.50.
• The company has a £7.86 billion market capitalization, while insider Stuart Machin recently sold 560,402 shares for approximately £2.15 million; insiders own 0.47% of the stock.

Marks and Spencer Group plc (LON:MKS - Get Free Report) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 367.24 and traded as high as GBX 387.10. Marks and Spencer Group shares last traded at GBX 380, with a volume of 4,138,937 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MKS has been the subject of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Marks and Spencer Group to an "overweight" rating and raised their target price for the company from GBX 440 to GBX 450 in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 425 price target on shares of Marks and Spencer Group in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and set a GBX 435 price objective on shares of Marks and Spencer Group in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a GBX 440 price objective on shares of Marks and Spencer Group in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Berenberg Bank upped their target price on Marks and Spencer Group from GBX 415 to GBX 480 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of GBX 432.50.

Marks and Spencer Group Trading Down 1.8%

The stock has a market cap of £7.86 billion, a PE ratio of 30.89, a PEG ratio of 0.20 and a beta of 0.99. The business has a 50-day moving average of GBX 389.42 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 367.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 111.89, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.86.

Insider Activity

In other Marks and Spencer Group news, insider Stuart Machin sold 560,402 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 384, for a total transaction of £2,151,943.68. 0.47% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Marks and Spencer Group

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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