Whitbread (LON:WTB) Share Price Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Shares of Whitbread plc crossed above their 200-day moving average on Thursday, trading as high as GBX 3,225 ($43.57).
• Analysts have mixed views, with Citigroup raising its target price to GBX 3,800 while Berenberg Bank lowered its target to GBX 3,500; the consensus rating remains a "Moderate Buy."
• Whitbread's board approved a stock buyback plan indicating confidence in the stock's value, which is commonly viewed as a sign the shares are undervalued.

Whitbread plc (LON:WTB - Get Free Report)'s share price crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 2,787.81 ($37.34) and traded as high as GBX 3,225 ($43.20). Whitbread shares last traded at GBX 3,193 ($42.77), with a volume of 491,279 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on WTB shares. Citigroup increased their target price on Whitbread from GBX 3,600 to GBX 3,800 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 21st. Berenberg Bank lowered their target price on Whitbread from GBX 3,900 to GBX 3,500 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Whitbread currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of GBX 3,650.

Whitbread Price Performance

The company has a market cap of £5.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 2,147.94, a P/E/G ratio of -3.09 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 1.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 33.18. The firm has a 50 day moving average of GBX 3,059.77 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 2,796.18.

Whitbread Company Profile

Whitbread is the owner of Premier Inn, the UK's biggest hotel brand, with 86,000 rooms in over 850 hotels and a growing presence in Germany with 10,500 rooms in 59 hotels, offering quality accommodation at affordable prices in great locations. People are at the heart of our business. We employ over 38,000 team members in over 900 Premier Inn hotels across the UK and Germany.