Smiths Group (LON:SMIN) Stock Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• Technical move: Smiths Group crossed above its 200-day moving average (GBX 2,460.54), trading as high as GBX 2,552 and last at GBX 2,463 on volume 1,520,964 shares.
• Analyst sentiment: The stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from five analysts (four Buy, one Hold) with an average target price of GBX 3,158 and individual targets ranging roughly GBX 2,830–4,300.
• Financials & insiders: Market cap is £7.51bn with a P/E of 32.07, and insiders have been buying recently—5,138 shares reported purchased over the last three months—with insiders owning about 0.81% of the company.

Smiths Group plc (LON:SMIN - Get Free Report) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 2,460.54 and traded as high as GBX 2,552. Smiths Group shares last traded at GBX 2,463, with a volume of 1,520,964 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Smiths Group from GBX 3,040 to GBX 2,830 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Citigroup upped their target price on Smiths Group from GBX 2,950 to GBX 3,040 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on Smiths Group from GBX 3,500 to GBX 4,300 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of GBX 3,158.

Smiths Group Price Performance

The company has a market cap of £7.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.07, a P/E/G ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 0.70. The business has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 2,505.50 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 2,460.54. The company has a current ratio of 3.04, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 73.19.

Smiths Group (LON:SMIN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, March 20th. The company reported GBX 62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Smiths Group had a return on equity of 13.71% and a net margin of 11.39%. On average, equities analysts predict that Smiths Group plc will post 85.1295337 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Simon Pryce acquired 68 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of GBX 2,496 per share, for a total transaction of £1,697.28. Also, insider Richard Howes acquired 70 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 2,496 per share, with a total value of £1,747.20. Insiders purchased 5,138 shares of company stock worth $11,684,448 over the last three months. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Smiths Group Company Profile

Smiths Group plc operates as an industrial engineering company in Americas, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. It operates through four businesses: John Crane, Smiths Detection, Flex-Tek, and Smiths Interconnect. The John Crane business engineers mechanical seals, seal support systems, power transmission couplings, and specialized filtration systems. The Smiths Detection business provides sensors and systems that detect and identify explosives, narcotics, weapons, chemical agents, biohazards, and contraband.

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