Halma (LON:HLMA) Hits New 52-Week Low – Time to Sell?

Halma plc (LON:HLMA) shares hit a new 52-week low on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as GBX 27.40 ($0.34) and last traded at GBX 2,721.50 ($33.49), with a volume of 4998674 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 2,745 ($33.78).

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HLMA has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Berenberg Bank lifted their target price on shares of Halma from GBX 2,450 ($30.15) to GBX 2,700 ($33.22) and gave the stock 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 ($31.99) target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 6th. Finally, Shore Capital reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Halma in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of GBX 2,587.50 ($31.84).

Halma Price Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average is GBX 2,658.02 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 2,607.62. The firm has a market cap of £10.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3,814.08, a price-to-earnings-growth 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 Cuts Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In other Halma news, insider Jennifer Ward sold 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 2,648 ($32.58), for a total value of £1,324,000 ($1,629,137.44). Corporate 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.