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

Shares of Halma plc (LON:HLMA) hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as GBX 2,816 ($34.25) and last traded at GBX 2,816 ($34.25), with a volume of 12849668 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 2,801 ($34.07).

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on HLMA. Shore Capital reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Halma in a report on Thursday, November 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Halma to a “neutral” rating and set a GBX 2,600 ($31.62) price target on the stock in a report on Friday, December 6th. Finally, Berenberg Bank increased their price objective on shares of Halma from GBX 2,450 ($29.80) to GBX 2,700 ($32.84) and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Halma currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of GBX 2,587.50 ($31.47).

Halma Stock Performance

The company has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 2,688.27 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 2,612.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 45.83, a current ratio of 2.45 and a quick ratio of 1.51. The company has a market capitalization of £10.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 3,963.38, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.53.

Halma Cuts Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Jennifer Ward sold 50,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 2,648 ($32.21), for a total value of £1,324,000 ($1,610,313.79). Also, insider Carole Cran bought 8,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 13th. The shares were acquired at an average price of GBX 2,659 ($32.34) per share, for a total transaction of £212,720 ($258,720.51). 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.