Wickes Group (LON:WIX) Reaches New 1-Year High - Time to Buy?

Wickes Group plc (LON:WIX - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as GBX 218.50 ($2.92) and last traded at GBX 218.50 ($2.92), with a volume of 218891 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 214 ($2.86).

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WIX has been the topic of several recent research reports. Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 198 ($2.64) price target on shares of Wickes Group in a report on Thursday, March 20th. Shore Capital reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Wickes Group in a report on Tuesday, May 6th.

Wickes Group Stock Up 2.1%

The firm's fifty day simple moving average is GBX 185.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 167.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 456.98. The company has a market cap of £517.34 million, a PE ratio of 17.66, a P/E/G ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 0.78.

Wickes Group (LON:WIX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 20th. The company reported GBX 14.10 ($0.19) earnings per share for the quarter. Wickes Group had a net margin of 2.01% and a return on equity of 19.39%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Wickes Group plc will post 16.2278978 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wickes Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 24th will be given a GBX 7.30 ($0.10) dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 4.01%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 24th. This is a positive change from Wickes Group's previous dividend of $3.60. Wickes Group's payout ratio is currently 88.93%.

Insider Activity

In other Wickes Group news, insider David Wood sold 58,445 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 172 ($2.30), for a total transaction of £100,525.40 ($134,266.60). Company insiders own 7.16% of the company's stock.

Wickes Group Company Profile

Wickes is one of the UK's best known home improvement retailers. Having opened our first store in 1972 we now have over 230 stores across the UK, employing 8,500 colleagues and offering products ranging from kitchens and bathrooms, to paint, tools and timber. Wickes is a successful, growing, cash generative and profitable business, operating in the large and growing £25 billion UK Home Improvement market.

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