J Sainsbury (LON:SBRY) Earns “Buy” Rating from Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft

J Sainsbury (LON:SBRY)‘s stock had its “buy” rating restated by equities researchers at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft in a note issued to investors on Friday, Digital Look reports. They currently have a GBX 390 target price on the grocer’s stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft‘s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 11.65% from the stock’s previous close.

SBRY has been the subject of a number of other reports. Shore Capital Group reaffirmed a “house stock” rating on shares of J Sainsbury in a research note on Friday, July 31st. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a GBX 395 price target on shares of J Sainsbury in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and set a GBX 310 target price on shares of J Sainsbury in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a GBX 375 price target on shares of J Sainsbury in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on J Sainsbury from GBX 330 to GBX 346 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, J Sainsbury currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of GBX 360.17.

J Sainsbury Price Performance

J Sainsbury stock traded down GBX 2.80 during trading hours on Friday, hitting GBX 349.30. 640,774,063 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 24,529,146. The stock has a market capitalization of £7.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.67, a P/E/G ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 107.33, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.56. J Sainsbury has a 12 month low of GBX 293.70 and a 12 month high of GBX 380.30. The business’s 50-day moving average is GBX 337.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 332.17.

J Sainsbury (LON:SBRY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 22nd. The grocer reported GBX 9.50 EPS for the quarter. J Sainsbury had a return on equity of 6.12% and a net margin of 1.14%. Equities research analysts expect that J Sainsbury will post 25.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other J Sainsbury news, insider Simon Roberts sold 346,154 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 333, for a total transaction of £1,152,692.82. Also, insider Katie Bickerstaffe bought 5,732 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 22nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 347 per share, with a total value of £19,890.04. Company insiders own 0.47% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting J Sainsbury

Here are the key news stories impacting J Sainsbury this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Higher earnings and upgraded outlook: Sainsbury reported first-half earnings of 9.50 pence per share and raised its profit outlook after growth across the business. The improved guidance suggests management sees continued momentum despite intense competition in the UK grocery market. J Sainsbury H1 Earnings Up
• Positive Sentiment: £300 million share repurchase launched: J Sainsbury commenced a buyback of up to £300 million. Repurchases can support earnings per share and signal that management believes the shares offer attractive value, although the effect will depend on the pace and execution of the program. J Sainsbury Commences Share Repurchase
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend proposed: The company proposed an interim dividend, reinforcing its shareholder-return strategy and potentially improving the stock’s appeal to income-focused investors. The key issues for valuation are the final dividend amount and whether the stronger profit outlook can support future distributions. J Sainsbury Proposed Its Interim Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Insider buying: Non-executive director Katie Bickerstaffe purchased 5,732 shares for approximately £19,890 at an average price of 347 pence. The purchase is a modest amount relative to the company’s size, but insider buying can be viewed as a vote of confidence. J Sainsbury Insider Buys Shares
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Deutsche Bank reaffirmed its “buy” rating and GBX 390 price target. The target is above recent trading levels, though the broader analyst consensus is more moderate at GBX 360.17. Deutsche Bank J Sainsbury Recommendation
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and financial risks remain: Sainsbury trades at roughly 20.7 times earnings, while its net margin is only 1.14%. A debt-to-equity ratio above 100 also leaves the company sensitive to interest costs and operating setbacks.

J Sainsbury Company Profile

J Sainsbury plc is one of the UK’s leading food, general merchandise and clothing retailers.

Offering delicious, great quality food at competitive prices has been at the heart of what we do since we opened our first store in 1869. Today, inspiring and delighting our customers with tasty food remains our priority. Our purpose is that driven by our passion for food, together we serve and help every customer.

Our focus on great value food and convenient shopping, whether in-store or online is supported by our brands – Argos, Habitat, Tu, Nectar and Sainsbury’s Bank.