Compass Group (LON:CPG) Share Price Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Compass Group PLC (LON:CPG) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 2,427.50 ($30.37) and traded as high as GBX 2,662 ($33.31). Compass Group shares last traded at GBX 2,662 ($33.31), with a volume of 517,811 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on CPG. Berenberg Bank raised their price target on shares of Compass Group from GBX 2,460 ($30.78) to GBX 2,900 ($36.29) and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Compass Group from GBX 2,600 ($32.53) to GBX 2,800 ($35.04) and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 11th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on Compass Group from GBX 2,500 ($31.28) to GBX 2,600 ($32.53) and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of GBX 2,675 ($33.47).

Compass Group Trading Up 0.3 %

The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 89.31. The stock has a market capitalization of £45.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3,502.63, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.81. The company’s 50-day moving average is GBX 2,626.98 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 2,427.50.

Compass Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 16th will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 1.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 16th. This is a positive change from Compass Group’s previous dividend of $0.21. Compass Group’s payout ratio is presently 5,789.47%.

Insider Activity at Compass Group

In other news, insider Dominic Blakemore sold 119,821 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 2,692 ($33.68), for a total value of £3,225,581.32 ($4,036,012.66). Also, insider Palmer Brown acquired 9,401 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 16th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 2,656 ($33.23) per share, with a total value of £249,690.56 ($312,425.63). 0.15% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Compass Group

Compass Group PLC is a world leading food service company, which generated annual revenues of £31.3 billion in the year to 30 September 2023. It serves meals to millions of people in c. 35 countries and employs and engages with c. 550,000 people. The Company specialises in providing food and a range of targeted support services across the core sectors of Business & Industry, Healthcare & Senior Living, Education, Sports & Leisure and Defence, Offshore & Remote, with an established brand portfolio.