Halma (LON:HLMA) Shares Cross Above 200 Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Halma plc (LON:HLMA)’s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 2,556.60 ($32.27) and traded as high as GBX 2,771 ($34.97). Halma shares last traded at GBX 2,733 ($34.49), with a volume of 297,237 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Shore Capital reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Halma in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Halma to a “neutral” rating and set a GBX 2,600 ($32.82) target price for the company in a research note on Friday, December 6th. Finally, Berenberg Bank upped their target price on shares of Halma from GBX 2,450 ($30.92) to GBX 2,700 ($34.08) and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Halma has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of GBX 2,587.50 ($32.66).

Halma Price Performance

The company has a market cap of £10.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3,849.30, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a quick ratio of 1.51, a current ratio of 2.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 45.83. The company’s fifty day moving average price is GBX 2,585.36 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 2,556.60.

Halma Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, December 19th will be issued a dividend of GBX 9 ($0.11) per share. This represents a yield of 0.36%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 19th. Halma’s payout ratio is 3,098.59%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Jennifer Ward sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 2,648 ($33.42), for a total transaction of £1,324,000 ($1,671,084.19). 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Halma Company Profile

Halma plc, together its subsidiaries, provides technology solutions in the safety, health, and environmental markets in the United States, Mainland Europe, the United Kingdom, the Asia Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Safety, Environmental & Analysis, and Healthcare.