McKesson Co. (NYSE:MCK) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of McKesson Co. (NYSE:MCK) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, thirteen have assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $645.79.

Several analysts have commented on MCK shares. Mizuho initiated coverage on shares of McKesson in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $630.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on McKesson from $535.00 to $641.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Evercore ISI upped their price target on McKesson from $650.00 to $675.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Robert W. Baird raised McKesson from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $531.00 to $688.00 in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of McKesson from $612.00 to $642.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th.

McKesson Stock Performance

Shares of MCK stock opened at $593.82 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $75.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 0.52. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $587.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $563.18. McKesson has a fifty-two week low of $464.42 and a fifty-two week high of $637.51.

McKesson (NYSE:MCK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $8.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.60 by ($0.57). McKesson had a net margin of 0.82% and a negative return on equity of 181.26%. As a group, equities analysts predict that McKesson will post 32.69 EPS for the current year.

McKesson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a $0.71 dividend. This represents a $2.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.48%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. McKesson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 13.00%.

Insider Activity at McKesson

In other McKesson news, EVP Leann B. Smith sold 579 shares of McKesson stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $572.79, for a total value of $331,645.41. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 864 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $494,890.56. The trade was a 40.12 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders have sold 1,346 shares of company stock valued at $795,275 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.11% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On McKesson

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Millstone Evans Group LLC bought a new position in McKesson in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of McKesson in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of McKesson in the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new stake in McKesson during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Wolff Wiese Magana LLC increased its holdings in McKesson by 742.9% during the third quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 59 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. 85.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

McKesson Company Profile

McKesson Corporation provides healthcare services in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: U.S. Pharmaceutical, Prescription Technology Solutions (RxTS), Medical-Surgical Solutions, and International. The U.S. Pharmaceutical segment distributes branded, generic, specialty, biosimilar and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs, and other healthcare-related products.