Vesuvius (LON:VSVS) Stock Jumps 24.7% - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Vesuvius shares surged 24.7% to GBX 467, with trading volume 77% above its average; the stock reached an intraday high of GBX 494.
• Analysts remain moderately bullish, with three Buy ratings and two Holds. The average price target is GBX 459, near the post-rally price, while individual targets range from GBX 400 to GBX 525.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of GBX 16.30, but profitability remained modest, with a 3.36% return on equity and 2.09% net margin. Insider Patrick André recently sold 55,936 shares, while insiders collectively own 25% of the company.

Vesuvius plc (LON:VSVS - Get Free Report)'s share price shot up 24.7% during trading on Tuesday. The stock traded as high as GBX 494 and last traded at GBX 467. Approximately 2,487,880 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 77% from the average daily volume of 1,403,461 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 374.40.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on VSVS shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating and issued a GBX 440 price target on shares of Vesuvius in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of Vesuvius from GBX 520 to GBX 480 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. Berenberg Bank decreased their target price on shares of Vesuvius from GBX 520 to GBX 450 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Peel Hunt reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a GBX 525 price target on shares of Vesuvius in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Vesuvius from GBX 440 to GBX 400 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of GBX 459.

Vesuvius Price Performance

The business has a fifty day moving average of GBX 386.33 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 421.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 56.90, a current ratio of 2.05 and a quick ratio of 1.20. The stock has a market cap of £1.15 billion, a PE ratio of 30.32, a P/E/G ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 1.13.

Vesuvius (LON:VSVS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported GBX 16.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Vesuvius had a return on equity of 3.36% and a net margin of 2.09%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Vesuvius plc will post 51.3945695 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vesuvius

In other news, insider Patrick André sold 55,936 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 368, for a total transaction of £205,844.48. Insiders own 25.00% of the company's stock.

Vesuvius Company Profile

We are a global leader in metal flow engineering, providing a full range of engineering services and solutions to its customers worldwide, principally serving the steel and foundry industries.

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