Essentra (LON:ESNT) Stock Crosses Below 200 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Essentra plc (LON:ESNT)’s stock price passed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 120.05 ($1.61) and traded as low as GBX 97.70 ($1.31). Essentra shares last traded at GBX 100.20 ($1.34), with a volume of 472,715 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 170 ($2.28) target price on shares of Essentra in a report on Wednesday, March 26th.

Essentra Trading Up 1.7%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 51.89, a current ratio of 1.97 and a quick ratio of 0.50. The company has a market cap of £292.90 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 83.94, a PEG ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 1.18. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is GBX 97.99 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 120.05.

Essentra (LON:ESNT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 19th. The company reported GBX 8.50 ($0.11) earnings per share for the quarter. Essentra had a net margin of 1.13% and a return on equity of 1.28%. Research analysts predict that Essentra plc will post 524.137931 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Essentra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be given a GBX 1.55 ($0.02) dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 1.41%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 15th. This is a positive change from Essentra’s previous dividend of $1.25. Essentra’s payout ratio is currently 329.52%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Steve Good bought 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 20th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of GBX 109 ($1.46) per share, for a total transaction of £38,150 ($51,091.47). Also, insider Rowan Baker bought 10,036 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 24th. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 104 ($1.39) per share, with a total value of £10,437.44 ($13,978.09). Company insiders own 0.99% of the company’s stock.

Essentra Company Profile

Essentra plc is a leading global provider of essential components and solutions, focusing on the manufacture and distribution of plastic injection moulded, vinyl dip moulded and metal items.

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Essentra’s global network extends to 28 countries worldwide and includes c.3,000 employees, 14 manufacturing facilities, 26 distribution centres and 37 sales & service centres serving c.64,000 customers with a rapid supply of low cost but essential products for a variety of applications in industries such as equipment manufacturing, automotive, fabrication, electronics, medical and renewable energy.