GSK plc (NYSE:GSK) Stock Position Increased by Stifel Financial Corp

Stifel Financial Corp increased its stake in GSK plc (NYSE:GSK - Free Report) by 2.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 618,213 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock after buying an additional 13,240 shares during the quarter. Stifel Financial Corp's holdings in GSK were worth $20,908,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Indiana Trust & Investment Management Co lifted its stake in shares of GSK by 200.0% in the fourth quarter. Indiana Trust & Investment Management Co now owns 750 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of GSK during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. grew its position in shares of GSK by 195.5% during the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 789 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 522 shares in the last quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of GSK during the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its stake in shares of GSK by 470.1% in the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 992 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 818 shares during the last quarter. 15.74% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

GSK Stock Performance

GSK stock traded up $0.68 on Wednesday, reaching $39.65. The company's stock had a trading volume of 6,276,569 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,311,414. GSK plc has a 52 week low of $31.72 and a 52 week high of $45.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.52. The company has a market capitalization of $81.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.56. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $37.57 and a two-hundred day moving average of $36.02.

GSK (NYSE:GSK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The pharmaceutical company reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.15. GSK had a return on equity of 48.59% and a net margin of 8.13%. As a group, analysts predict that GSK plc will post 4.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

GSK Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 21st were given a dividend of $0.3932 per share. This represents a $1.57 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.97%. This is an increase from GSK's previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 21st. GSK's payout ratio is 100.63%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have weighed in on GSK shares. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of GSK in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $35.25 price objective for the company. StockNews.com raised shares of GSK from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on GSK in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an "equal weight" rating for the company. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $40.58.

GSK Company Profile

GSK plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, and manufacture of vaccines, and specialty and general medicines to prevent and treat disease in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Commercial Operations and Total R&D.