Halma (LON:HLMA) Stock Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average - What's Next?

Halma plc (LON:HLMA - Get Free Report) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 2,646.21 ($33.39) and traded as high as GBX 2,945 ($37.16). Halma shares last traded at GBX 2,945 ($37.16), with a volume of 456,152 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HLMA has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Berenberg Bank upped their target price on shares of Halma from GBX 2,450 ($30.91) to GBX 2,700 ($34.07) and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, December 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Halma to a "neutral" rating and set a GBX 2,600 ($32.80) target price for the company in a research report on Friday, December 6th. Finally, Shore Capital reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Halma in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Halma currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of GBX 2,587.50 ($32.65).

Halma Stock Performance

The company's fifty day moving average is GBX 2,813.68 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 2,650.95. The company has a market capitalization of £11.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.25, 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.

Halma (LON:HLMA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 21st. The company reported GBX 43.01 ($0.54) EPS for the quarter. Halma had a net margin of 13.21% and a return on equity of 15.87%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Halma plc will post 90.5626134 earnings per share for the current year.

Halma Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 19th were issued a GBX 9 ($0.11) dividend. This represents a yield of 0.36%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 19th. Halma's payout ratio is 30.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Halma

In related news, insider Carole Cran acquired 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 13th. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 2,659 ($33.55) per share, for a total transaction of £212,720 ($268,382.54). Also, insider Jennifer Ward sold 50,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 2,648 ($33.41), for a total transaction of £1,324,000 ($1,670,451.68). Insiders own 2.20% of the company's stock.

Halma Company Profile

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.