Marston’s (LON:MARS) Shares Down 12% – Should You Sell?

Marston’s PLC (LON:MARS) shares traded down 12% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as GBX 57.45 and last traded at GBX 60.60. 62,236,031 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 977% from the average session volume of 5,780,237 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 68.90.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Panmure Gordon restated a “buy” rating and set a GBX 80 target price on shares of Marston’s in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Shore Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Marston’s in a research note on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Marston’s from GBX 78 to GBX 85 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Peel Hunt restated a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 75 price target on shares of Marston’s in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of GBX 80.

Marston’s Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of £381.98 million, a P/E ratio of 5.44, a PEG ratio of -0.16 and a beta of 1.68. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is GBX 60.86 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 48.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 198.96, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.36.

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

Insider Transactions at Marston’s

In other Marston’s news, insider Justin Platt purchased 158,309 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 24th. The stock was acquired at an average price of GBX 59 per share, with a total value of £93,402.31. 1.32% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Marston’s Company Profile

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.