Marks and Spencer Group plc (LON:MKS) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Marks and Spencer Group plc (LON:MKS) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seven research firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is GBX 415.33.

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Shore Capital reissued a “house stock” rating on shares of Marks and Spencer Group in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their target price on Marks and Spencer Group from GBX 450 to GBX 435 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 26th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Marks and Spencer Group from GBX 440 to GBX 450 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 435 price target on shares of Marks and Spencer Group in a report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded shares of Marks and Spencer Group to a “sector perform” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from GBX 375 to GBX 400 in a report on Monday, October 20th.

Marks and Spencer Group Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of MKS opened at GBX 332.10 on Friday. Marks and Spencer Group has a 12 month low of GBX 315.30 and a 12 month high of GBX 417.80. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 95.00. The stock’s 50 day moving average is GBX 363.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 356.52. The firm has a market cap of £6.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 369.00, a PEG ratio of 0.20 and a beta of 1.62.

Marks and Spencer Group (LON:MKS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The retailer reported GBX 6.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Marks and Spencer Group had a net margin of 3.77% and a return on equity of 17.23%. Analysts predict that Marks and Spencer Group will post 26.0113154 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Sean Doyle purchased 2,526 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were acquired at an average price of GBX 334 per share, with a total value of £8,436.84. Insiders own 0.51% of the company’s stock.

Marks and Spencer Group Company Profile

M&S has a heritage of quality, innovation and value for money and has been voted the UK’s most trusted brand. From these foundations, M&S is reshaping for sustainable profitable growth and value creation.

We operate as a family of businesses, selling high-quality, great-value, own-brand products and services, alongside a carefully selected range of third-party brands.