Johnson Matthey (JMAT) News Today

Johnson Matthey PLC (LON:JMAT) shares have risen sharply on renewed investor optimism after the company announced a major asset sale and delivered its latest financial results.

• Johnson Matthey agreed to sell its Catalyst Technologies business to Honeywell for £1.8 billion (US$2.4 billion), unlocking substantial cash and refocusing on core growth areas.
• The board increased its quarterly dividend to GBX 32 (yield ~1.88%), up from GBX 22, underlining management’s commitment to shareholder returns.
• Insider buying by CEO Liam Condon—18 shares acquired at GBX 1,384—signals confidence in the company’s strategic direction.
• Q1 earnings showed EPS of GBX 149.2 ($2.00), with a net margin of 0.84% and ROE of 4.49%, roughly in line with consensus forecasts.
• Analysts project full-year EPS of ~GBX 173.4; the stock trades at a P/E of 30.5 with a stretched PEG ratio reflecting one-off gains from the sale.
• Technical momentum is strong: JMAT recently hit a new 52-week high and remains above both its 50- and 200-day moving averages.
• Underlying profitability remains modest, with low net margin and ROE pointing to operational challenges in remaining segments.
• A debt-to-equity ratio of 62.7% and a quick ratio below 1 (0.76) indicate relatively high leverage and liquidity pressures post-transaction.