Halma (LON:HLMA) Reaches New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on HLMA. Berenberg Bank increased their price target 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 report on Thursday, December 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Halma to a “neutral” rating and set a GBX 2,600 ($31.62) price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, December 6th. Finally, Shore Capital restated a “hold” rating on shares of Halma in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of GBX 2,587.50 ($31.47).

Halma Stock Performance

The stock’s fifty day moving average is GBX 2,688.27 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 2,612.77. The company has a quick ratio of 1.51, a current ratio of 2.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 45.83. The stock has a market cap of £10.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3,963.38, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.53.

Halma Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders 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 payout ratio is 3,098.59%.

Insider Activity at Halma

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

About Halma

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.