QinetiQ Group (LON:QQ) Share Price Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• QinetiQ Group's stock price recently surpassed its 200-day moving average of GBX 444.05, reaching a high of GBX 488.80 during trading on Thursday.
• Wall Street analysts have mixed views on the stock, with Shore Capital maintaining a "hold" rating while Berenberg Bank set a price target of GBX 570 and reaffirmed a "buy" rating.
• Insider transactions indicate activity, with an insider selling 75,060 shares at GBX 517, while another insider bought 9,857 shares at GBX 505, highlighting ongoing investor interest in the company.

QinetiQ Group plc (LON:QQ - Get Free Report)'s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 444.05 ($6.00) and traded as high as GBX 488.80 ($6.60). QinetiQ Group shares last traded at GBX 480 ($6.48), with a volume of 819,001 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on QQ. Shore Capital reissued a "hold" rating on shares of QinetiQ Group in a report on Thursday, July 17th. Berenberg Bank restated a "buy" rating and set a GBX 570 price objective on shares of QinetiQ Group in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of GBX 558.33.

QinetiQ Group Trading Up 1.6%

The company has a market cap of £2.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.27, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 41.96. The business's fifty day simple moving average is GBX 498.77 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 446.57.

QinetiQ Group (LON:QQ - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 22nd. The company reported GBX 26.10 EPS for the quarter. QinetiQ Group had a net margin of 7.03% and a return on equity of 14.98%. On average, equities analysts predict that QinetiQ Group plc will post 26.1405108 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Steve Wadey sold 75,060 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 517, for a total transaction of £388,060.20. Also, insider Martin Cooper bought 9,857 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 21st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 505 per share, for a total transaction of £49,777.85. Insiders have purchased a total of 9,946 shares of company stock worth $5,022,806 in the last 90 days. 12.14% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

QinetiQ Group Company Profile

QinetiQ Group plc operates as a science and engineering company in the defense, security, and infrastructure markets in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and internationally. The company operates through EMEA Services and Global Solutions segments. It offers advanced materials and manufacturing products; artificial intelligence, analytics, and advanced computing technologies; cyber and electromagnetic technologies; human protection and performance systems; novel systems, and weapons and effects; platform, and system design and assessment products; power sources, and energy storage and distribution products; robotics and autonomy services; secure communications and navigation systems; and sensing, processing, and data fusion systems.