Marston’s (LON:MARS) Share Price Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Marston’s PLC (LON:MARS)’s stock price crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 49.73 and traded as high as GBX 64.40. Marston’s shares last traded at GBX 62.81, with a volume of 1,160,308 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MARS has been the subject of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Marston’s from GBX 78 to GBX 85 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Shore Capital Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Marston’s in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Peel Hunt reissued a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 75 target price on shares of Marston’s in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, Panmure Gordon reissued a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 80 target price on shares of Marston’s in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of GBX 80.

Marston’s Stock Down 0.3%

The stock has a market cap of £397.37 million, a PE ratio of 5.66, a PEG ratio of -0.16 and a beta of 1.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 198.96, a current ratio of 0.36 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The company has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 61.63 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 49.73.

Marston’s (LON:MARS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, December 15th. The company reported GBX 8.50 EPS for the quarter. Marston’s had a negative return on equity of 2.72% and a negative net margin of 1.91%. Analysts expect that Marston’s PLC will post 8.364486 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marston’s

In related news, insider Justin Platt acquired 158,309 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 24th. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 59 per share, for a total transaction of £93,402.31. 1.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Marston’s

Marston’s PLC operates managed, franchised, tenanted, partnership, and leased pubs in the United Kingdom. It is also involved in the property management; telecommunications; and insurance businesses. The company was formerly known as The Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries PLC and changed its name to Marston’s PLC in January 2007. The company was founded in 1834 and is based in Wolverhampton, the United Kingdom.