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.
DS Smith Stock Up 0.5 %
Shares of LON:SMDS traded up GBX 1.50 ($0.02) during trading on Friday, hitting GBX 294.80 ($3.56). The stock had a trading volume of 3,189,201 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,006,953. The firm has a fifty day moving average of GBX 286.19 and a two-hundred day moving average of GBX 314.62. The company has a market capitalization of £4.06 billion and a PE ratio of 1,474.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 55.46, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.55. DS Smith has a 12 month low of GBX 263.70 ($3.19) and a 12 month high of GBX 465.97 ($5.63).
DS Smith Increases Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 1st. Shareholders 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 of this dividend is Thursday, October 6th. This represents a yield of 3.51%. DS Smith's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7,500.00%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of equities research analysts have commented on SMDS shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of DS Smith from GBX 594 ($7.18) to GBX 500 ($6.04) and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 22nd. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of DS Smith in a report on Wednesday, May 11th. Finally, Berenberg Bank reduced their price target on shares of 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, DS Smith has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of GBX 483.14 ($5.84).
Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, insider Adrian Marsh sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 296 ($3.58), for a total transaction of £29,600 ($35,766.07). In other DS Smith news, insider Geoffrey Drabble bought 17,445 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average price of GBX 287 ($3.47) per share, with a total value of £50,067.15 ($60,496.80). Also, insider Adrian Marsh sold 10,000 shares of DS Smith stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 296 ($3.58), for a total value of £29,600 ($35,766.07). Insiders have bought a total of 54,445 shares of company stock valued at $15,736,715 in the last 90 days.