Dodge & Cox Raises Stock Position in GSK plc (NYSE:GSK)

Dodge & Cox lifted its position in shares of GSK plc (NYSE:GSK - Free Report) by 0.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 68,440,912 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock after buying an additional 353,749 shares during the quarter. GSK comprises 1.3% of Dodge & Cox's holdings, making the stock its 26th biggest position. Dodge & Cox owned 3.30% of GSK worth $2,314,672,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of GSK. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in GSK during the third quarter worth about $3,645,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. increased its holdings in GSK by 73.8% in the third quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 711 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares during the period. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. acquired a new position in GSK during the 3rd quarter worth about $210,000. World Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of GSK in the third quarter valued at about $421,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in GSK during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $787,000. Institutional investors own 15.74% of the company's stock.

GSK Stock Performance

NYSE:GSK traded up $0.55 on Friday, hitting $35.92. The stock had a trading volume of 4,812,738 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,650,435. GSK plc has a 52-week low of $31.72 and a 52-week high of $45.93. The stock has a market cap of $74.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $37.43 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $36.11.

GSK (NYSE:GSK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The pharmaceutical company reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.15. GSK had a net margin of 8.13% and a return on equity of 48.59%. As a group, research analysts predict that GSK plc will post 4.14 earnings per share for the current year.

GSK Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 21st were issued a dividend of $0.3932 per share. This represents a $1.57 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.38%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 21st. This is a positive change from GSK's previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. GSK's payout ratio is currently 100.63%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GSK has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on GSK in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an "equal weight" rating on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of GSK from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, BNP Paribas started coverage on shares of GSK in a research note on Tuesday. They set a "neutral" rating and a $35.25 price objective for the company. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $40.58.

GSK Company 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.