Halma (LON:HLMA) Sets New 52-Week Low – Here’s Why

Shares of Halma plc (LON:HLMA) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as GBX 15.77 ($0.19) and last traded at GBX 2,951 ($36.33), with a volume of 6786952 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 2,951 ($36.33).

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HLMA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Halma to a “neutral” rating and set a GBX 2,600 ($32.01) price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 6th. Shore Capital reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Halma in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Berenberg Bank increased their price objective on Halma from GBX 2,450 ($30.16) to GBX 2,700 ($33.24) and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of GBX 2,587.50 ($31.85).

Halma Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 45.83, a current ratio of 2.45 and a quick ratio of 1.51. The stock’s 50-day moving average is GBX 2,705.65 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 2,616.74. The stock has a market cap of £11.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4,157.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.53.

Halma (LON:HLMA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 21st. The company reported GBX 43.01 ($0.53) EPS for the quarter. Halma had a return on equity of 16.12% and a net margin of 13.21%. As a group, analysts predict that Halma plc will post 90.5626134 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Halma Cuts Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In other Halma news, insider Carole Cran acquired 8,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 13th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 2,659 ($32.73) per share, for a total transaction of £212,720 ($261,873.69). Also, insider Jennifer Ward sold 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 2,648 ($32.60), for a total transaction of £1,324,000 ($1,629,939.68). Insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

About Halma

Halma is a global group of life-saving technology companies, focused on growing a safer, cleaner, healthier future for everyone, every day. Its purpose defines the three broad markets it operates in:

– Safety – Protecting people’s safety and the environment as populations grow, and enhancing worker safety.
– Environment – Addressing the impacts of climate change, pollution and waste, protecting life-critical resources and supporting scientific research.
– Health – Meeting the increasing demand for better healthcare as chronic illness rises, driven by growing and ageing populations and lifestyle changes.

Halma employs over 8,000 people in more than 20 countries, with major operations in the UK, Mainland Europe, the USA and Asia Pacific.