The Goldman Sachs Group Upgrades Halma (OTCMKTS:HLMAF) to "Strong-Buy"

Key Points

• The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Halma to a "strong-buy" rating, reflecting increased confidence in the company.
• Currently, Halma holds a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy," with mixed ratings from various analysts including one sell, four hold, and four strong buy ratings.
• Halma's stock price increased by 2.4% to open at $44.84, with a one-year range of $29.83 to $45.54.

The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Halma (OTCMKTS:HLMAF - Free Report) to a strong-buy rating in a research note published on Wednesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Kepler Capital Markets raised Halma to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Halma in a research report on Monday, June 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an "underperform" rating on shares of Halma in a research report on Thursday, June 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and four have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Halma presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

Halma Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of HLMAF traded down $0.03 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $43.78. The stock had a trading volume of 10,178 shares, compared to its average volume of 18,323. Halma has a 52 week low of $29.83 and a 52 week high of $45.54. The company has a quick ratio of 1.78, a current ratio of 2.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $43.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $38.47.

Halma Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 11th will be paid a $0.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 10th. This represents a yield of 71.0%.

About Halma

Halma plc, together its subsidiaries, provides technology solutions in the safety, health, and environmental markets in the United States, Mainland Europe, the United Kingdom, the Asia Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Safety, Environmental & Analysis, and Medical.