Bunzl (LON:BNZL) Trading Down 24.4% - Here's Why

Bunzl plc (LON:BNZL - Get Free Report)'s stock price traded down 24.4% on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as GBX 2,218 ($29.68) and last traded at GBX 2,327.73 ($31.15). 5,287,830 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 115% from the average session volume of 2,465,146 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 3,078 ($41.19).

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BNZL has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Shore Capital restated a "buy" rating on shares of Bunzl in a report on Monday, March 31st. Citigroup upgraded shares of Bunzl to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of GBX 3,375 ($45.16).

Bunzl Price Performance

The business has a fifty day moving average of GBX 3,026.10 and a two-hundred day moving average of GBX 3,301.52. The firm has a market capitalization of £7.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.40 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 123.00, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 1.15.

Bunzl (LON:BNZL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 3rd. The company reported GBX 194.30 ($2.60) EPS for the quarter. Bunzl had a net margin of 4.20% and a return on equity of 16.82%. As a group, research analysts predict that Bunzl plc will post 213.3413462 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bunzl Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 22nd will be issued a GBX 53.80 ($0.72) dividend. This is a boost from Bunzl's previous dividend of $20.10. This represents a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 22nd. Bunzl's dividend payout ratio is currently 48.39%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Bunzl news, insider Richard Howes purchased 8,479 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 16th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 2,338 ($31.29) per share, with a total value of £198,239.02 ($265,273.68). Also, insider Frank van Zanten acquired 4,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 6th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 3,037 ($40.64) per share, with a total value of £121,480 ($162,558.54). Company insiders own 0.84% of the company's stock.

About Bunzl

Bunzl plc operates as a distribution and services company in the North America, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally. The company offers food packaging, films, labels, cleaning and hygiene supplies, and personal protection equipment to grocery stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores.