GSK PLC Sponsored ADR (GSK) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.49 on April 9th

GSK PLC Sponsored ADR (NYSE:GSK) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, February 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be given a dividend of 0.4856 per share by the pharmaceutical company on Thursday, April 9th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. This is a 16.4% increase from GSK’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.42.

GSK has decreased its dividend by an average of 0.1%annually over the last three years. GSK has a dividend payout ratio of 35.1% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect GSK to earn $4.65 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.70 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 36.6%.

GSK Stock Up 1.6%

GSK stock traded up $0.97 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $60.14. The company had a trading volume of 4,212,057 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,675,176. The company has a market capitalization of $122.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.25, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.55. GSK has a 52 week low of $32.38 and a 52 week high of $60.28. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $49.65 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $44.73.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on GSK. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of GSK in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Barclays downgraded shares of GSK from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Bank of America raised shares of GSK from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Citigroup began coverage on GSK in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating on shares of GSK in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, GSK currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $44.13.

About GSK

GSK (GlaxoSmithKline plc) is a London-headquartered, multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company formed through the 2000 merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham. The company is dual-listed and operates globally, developing, manufacturing and commercializing prescription medicines, vaccines and specialty treatments. Over its history GSK has evolved through portfolio reshaping and strategic transactions to focus on science-led pharmaceuticals and vaccines.

GSK’s core activities include research and development of therapies and vaccines across a range of therapeutic areas, commercial manufacturing, and global marketing.