StockNews.com Upgrades GSK (NYSE:GSK) to "Strong-Buy"

GSK (NYSE:GSK - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued on Thursday.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on GSK. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of GSK in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $35.25 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley began coverage on GSK in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an "equal weight" rating for the company. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $40.58.

GSK Price Performance

GSK stock opened at $37.03 on Thursday. GSK has a 1 year low of $31.72 and a 1 year high of $45.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $76.41 billion, a PE ratio of 23.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.56. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $37.46 and a 200-day simple moving average of $36.06.

GSK (NYSE:GSK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The pharmaceutical company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. Equities research analysts anticipate that GSK will post 4.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On GSK

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC increased its stake in shares of GSK by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 11,506 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $389,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares during the period. First PREMIER Bank lifted its holdings in shares of GSK by 6.5% in the 1st quarter. First PREMIER Bank now owns 4,659 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $181,000 after buying an additional 286 shares during the period. Northwest Bank & Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of GSK by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Northwest Bank & Trust Co now owns 22,405 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $765,000 after buying an additional 289 shares in the last quarter. GC Wealth Management RIA LLC grew its holdings in GSK by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. GC Wealth Management RIA LLC now owns 14,009 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock worth $474,000 after acquiring an additional 353 shares during the period. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers lifted its holdings in GSK by 2.1% in the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 18,403 shares of the pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $713,000 after acquiring an additional 386 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 15.74% of the company's stock.

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.

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