Halma (LON:HLMA) Sets New 1-Year High - Here's Why

Halma plc (LON:HLMA - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as GBX 2,977 ($36.91) and last traded at GBX 2,968 ($36.80), with a volume of 12646563 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 2,944 ($36.50).

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HLMA has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Berenberg Bank lifted their price target on Halma from GBX 2,450 ($30.38) to GBX 2,700 ($33.48) and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, December 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Halma to a "neutral" rating and set a GBX 2,600 ($32.24) price target on the stock in a report on Friday, December 6th. Finally, Shore Capital restated a "hold" rating on shares of Halma in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of GBX 2,587.50 ($32.08).

Halma Trading Down 0.9 %

The firm has a fifty day moving average of GBX 2,766.33 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 2,629.24. The firm has a market capitalization of £11.48 billion, a PE ratio of 4,285.92, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 45.83, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a current ratio of 2.45.

Halma (LON:HLMA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 21st. The company reported GBX 43.01 ($0.53) EPS for the quarter. Halma had a net margin of 13.21% and a return on equity of 16.12%. Equities research analysts expect that Halma plc will post 90.5626134 EPS for the current year.

Halma Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 19th were given a dividend of GBX 9 ($0.11) per share. This represents a dividend yield of 0.36%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 19th. Halma's payout ratio is 3,098.59%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Halma news, insider Jennifer Ward sold 50,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 2,648 ($32.83), for a total transaction of £1,324,000 ($1,641,661.50). Also, insider Carole Cran bought 8,000 shares of Halma stock in a transaction on Monday, January 13th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 2,659 ($32.97) per share, for a total transaction of £212,720 ($263,756.97). Insiders own 2.20% of the company's stock.

About Halma

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.