Halma (LON:HLMA) Sets New 52-Week Low - Here's What Happened

Halma plc (LON:HLMA - Get Free Report)'s share price hit a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as GBX 15.77 ($0.19) and last traded at GBX 2,951 ($36.33), with a volume of 6786952 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 2,951 ($36.33).

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HLMA has been the topic of several research reports. Berenberg Bank raised their price target on Halma from GBX 2,450 ($30.16) to GBX 2,700 ($33.24) and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Shore Capital reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Halma in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Halma to a "neutral" rating and set a GBX 2,600 ($32.01) target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 6th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of GBX 2,587.50 ($31.85).

Halma Trading Down 0.5 %

The firm has a market cap of £11.08 billion, a PE ratio of 4,135.55, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a current ratio of 2.45, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 45.83. The business has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 2,705.65 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 2,616.74.

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

Halma Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 19th will be paid a GBX 9 ($0.11) dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 19th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.36%. Halma's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 3,098.59%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Halma news, insider Carole Cran acquired 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 13th. The stock was acquired at an average price of GBX 2,659 ($32.73) per share, with a total value of £212,720 ($261,873.69). Also, insider Jennifer Ward sold 50,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 2,648 ($32.60), for a total value of £1,324,000 ($1,629,939.68). 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.