GSK plc (NYSE:GSK) Shares Sold by Trustmark National Bank Trust Department

Trustmark National Bank Trust Department lessened its stake in GSK plc (NYSE:GSK - Free Report) by 82.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 8,656 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock after selling 40,137 shares during the quarter. Trustmark National Bank Trust Department's holdings in GSK were worth $293,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sunbelt Securities Inc. boosted its stake in GSK by 73.8% during the 3rd quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 711 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. Indiana Trust & Investment Management Co grew its stake in GSK by 200.0% during the 4th quarter. Indiana Trust & Investment Management Co now owns 750 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in GSK in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. raised its holdings in GSK by 195.5% in the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 789 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 522 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in GSK in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. 15.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on GSK. StockNews.com cut GSK from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of GSK in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an "equal weight" rating on the stock. Finally, BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of GSK in a research note on Tuesday. They set a "neutral" rating and a $35.25 target price on the stock. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $40.58.

GSK Trading Up 1.5 %

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

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

GSK Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st were issued a $0.3932 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.57 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.38%. This is a boost from GSK's previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. GSK's payout ratio is 100.63%.

About GSK

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.