Halma (LON:HLMA) Sets New 1-Year Low – Time to Sell?

Halma plc (LON:HLMA) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as GBX 27.40 ($0.34) and last traded at GBX 2,721.50 ($33.95), with a volume of 4998674 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 2,745 ($34.24).

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Berenberg Bank lifted their price target on shares of Halma from GBX 2,450 ($30.56) to GBX 2,700 ($33.68) and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Shore Capital reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Halma in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Halma to a “neutral” rating and set a GBX 2,600 ($32.44) target price for the company in a research note on Friday, December 6th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of GBX 2,587.50 ($32.28).

Halma Price Performance

The company has a market cap of £10.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 3,816.90, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.53. The company’s 50-day moving average price is GBX 2,653.46 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 2,604.70. The company has a current ratio of 2.45, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 45.83.

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 paid a GBX 9 ($0.11) dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 19th. This represents a yield of 0.36%. Halma’s payout ratio is currently 3,098.59%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Jennifer Ward sold 50,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 2,648 ($33.03), for a total value of £1,324,000 ($1,651,696.61). 2.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Halma Company Profile

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.