GSK plc (NYSE:GSK) Shares Sold by Federated Hermes Inc.

Federated Hermes Inc. decreased its position in GSK plc (NYSE:GSK) by 16.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 91,099 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 17,662 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc.’s holdings in GSK were worth $3,081,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Sunbelt Securities Inc. raised its holdings in GSK by 73.8% during the third quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 711 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. Indiana Trust & Investment Management Co boosted its position in shares of GSK by 200.0% in the fourth quarter. Indiana Trust & Investment Management Co now owns 750 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in GSK during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. grew its position in GSK by 195.5% during the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 789 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 522 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in shares of GSK during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. 15.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

GSK Stock Up 2.9 %

GSK stock opened at $34.58 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $37.52 and a 200-day moving average of $36.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. GSK plc has a twelve month low of $31.72 and a twelve month high of $45.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $71.35 billion, a PE ratio of 21.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.56.

GSK (NYSE:GSK) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The pharmaceutical company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.15. GSK had a return on equity of 48.59% and a net margin of 8.13%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that GSK plc will post 4.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

GSK Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 21st were given a dividend of $0.3932 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.57 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.55%. This is an increase from GSK’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. GSK’s dividend payout ratio is 100.63%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com raised GSK from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on GSK in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $43.25.

GSK Profile

GSK plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, and manufacture of vaccines, and specialty and general medicines to prevent and treat disease in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Commercial Operations and Total R&D.