Vesuvius (LON:VSVS) Sets New 52-Week High at $509.00

Vesuvius plc (LON:VSVS) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as GBX 509 ($6.39) and last traded at GBX 499.50 ($6.28), with a volume of 143308 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 500 ($6.28).

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on VSVS shares. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a GBX 675 ($8.48) price target on shares of Vesuvius in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. Berenberg Bank upped their target price on Vesuvius from GBX 480 ($6.03) to GBX 580 ($7.29) and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a GBX 460 ($5.78) price target on shares of Vesuvius in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd.

Vesuvius Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 30.47, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a current ratio of 1.95. The stock has a market cap of £1.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 1,136.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 1.29. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 483.69 and a 200-day moving average price of GBX 465.89.

Vesuvius Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, April 18th will be given a dividend of GBX 16.20 ($0.20) per share. This is a boost from Vesuvius’s previous dividend of $6.80. This represents a yield of 3.33%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 18th. Vesuvius’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 5,227.27%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Mark Collis bought 8,228 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 29th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 484 ($6.08) per share, with a total value of £39,823.52 ($50,029.55). In other Vesuvius news, insider Patrick André sold 66,184 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 484 ($6.08), for a total transaction of £320,330.56 ($402,425.33). Also, insider Mark Collis purchased 8,228 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 29th. The stock was acquired at an average price of GBX 484 ($6.08) per share, with a total value of £39,823.52 ($50,029.55). Corporate insiders own 1.35% of the company’s stock.

About Vesuvius

Vesuvius plc provides molten metal flow engineering and technology services to steel and foundry casting industries worldwide. It operates through Flow Control, Sensor & Probes, and Advanced Refractories segments. The company provides consumables and equipment, which includes binders, coatings, feeding systems, filtration and gating systems, melt shop refractories, metallurgical and pouring control systems, die dressings and coatings, melt treatment products, crucibles, and ceramics for the iron, steel, and nonferrous foundries.