Ashtead Group (LON:AHT) Hits New 12-Month Low - Time to Sell?

Ashtead Group plc (LON:AHT - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as GBX 50.38 ($0.63) and last traded at GBX 5,012 ($62.52), with a volume of 5529324 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 5,032 ($62.77).

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on AHT. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a GBX 6,800 ($84.83) target price on shares of Ashtead Group in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a GBX 7,000 ($87.33) price target on shares of Ashtead Group in a research report on Monday, October 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Ashtead Group from GBX 6,600 ($82.34) to GBX 7,300 ($91.07) and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, December 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of GBX 6,550 ($81.71).

Ashtead Group Stock Down 1.5 %

The company has a market cap of £21.65 billion, a PE ratio of 1,870.93, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.22. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 5,729.34 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 5,526.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 145.75, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 1.13.

Ashtead Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 7th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 9th will be issued a $0.36 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 9th. This represents a yield of 0.45%. Ashtead Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 3,018.87%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Ashtead Group news, insider Lucinda Riches sold 1,000 shares of Ashtead Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 5,880 ($73.35), for a total value of £58,800 ($73,353.29). Also, insider Brendan Horgan acquired 4,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 5,320 ($66.37) per share, with a total value of £212,800 ($265,469.06). 0.64% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Ashtead Group

Ashtead Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the construction, industrial, and general equipment rental business in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It provides pumps, power generation, heating, cooling, scaffolding, traffic management, temporary flooring, trench shoring, and lifting services.