DS Smith Plc provides packaging solutions, paper products, and recycling services worldwide. The company offers transit and transport, consumer, retail and shelf ready, online and e-retail, industrial, hazardous, multi-material, cushioning, and electrostatic discharge packaging products, as well as wrap arounds, trays, and bag-in-boxes; displays and promotional packaging products; corrugated pallets; Sheetfeeding products; packaging machine systems; and Sizzlepak, a stuffing material made of paper, folded in a zigzag shape, and cut into narrow strips, as well as provides outdoor advertising services. It also provides various recycling and waste management services, including total waste management, paper and cardboard recycling, confidential shredding, and coffee cups and plastics recycling, as well as equipment for the retail, manufacturing, print and publishing, paper mills, automotive, and public sectors. In addition, the company offers recycled corrugated case materials, specialty papers, and kraft liners, as well as related technical and supply chain services. It provides its packaging solutions for the food and drink, consumer goods, industrial, e-commerce and e-retail, and converter industries. The company was formerly known as David S. Smith (Holdings) PLC and changed its name to DS Smith Plc in 2001. DS Smith Plc was founded in 1940 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of research firms recently commented on SMDS. Berenberg Bank reduced their price objective on DS Smith from GBX 510 ($6.16) to GBX 415 ($5.01) and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on DS Smith from GBX 594 ($7.18) to GBX 500 ($6.04) and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of DS Smith in a research report on Wednesday, May 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of GBX 483.14 ($5.84).
DS Smith Stock Performance
LON:SMDS traded down GBX 3.70 ($0.04) during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting GBX 286.50 ($3.46). 2,068,496 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,017,687. The stock's fifty day moving average price is GBX 286.64 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 315.66. DS Smith has a one year low of GBX 263.70 ($3.19) and a one year high of GBX 465.97 ($5.63). The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 55.46. The firm has a market cap of £3.94 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,432.50.
DS Smith Increases Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 6th will be paid a GBX 10.20 ($0.12) dividend. This is a positive change from DS Smith's previous dividend of $4.80. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 6th. This represents a dividend yield of 3.51%. DS Smith's dividend payout ratio is 64.50%.
Insider Transactions at DS Smith
In other DS Smith news, insider Geoffrey Drabble acquired 17,445 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 287 ($3.47) per share, with a total value of £50,067.15 ($60,496.80). In other news, insider Adrian Marsh purchased 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 28th. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 296 ($3.58) per share, with a total value of £59,200 ($71,532.14). Also, insider Geoffrey Drabble acquired 17,445 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 23rd. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 287 ($3.47) per share, for a total transaction of £50,067.15 ($60,496.80). Insiders acquired a total of 54,445 shares of company stock valued at $15,736,715 over the last 90 days.