Beazley (LON:BEZ) Shares Up 40.5% – Still a Buy?

Beazley plc (LON:BEZ) shares rose 40.5% on Monday . The company traded as high as GBX 1,195 and last traded at GBX 1,152.45. Approximately 15,440,655 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 107% from the average daily volume of 7,449,580 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 820.

Key Stories Impacting Beazley

Here are the key news stories impacting Beazley this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unsolicited all‑cash approach from Zurich prompted takeover speculation and a re‑rating of the stock; investors are pricing a potential control premium. Beazley Rejects Initial Zurich Approach as Takeover Talks Loom
• Positive Sentiment: Trading volume spiked well above average and the share price moved toward its 1‑year high, accelerating momentum; low reported P/E (~7.6) makes an acquisition bid more plausible from an acquiror’s perspective.
• Neutral Sentiment: Beazley publicly described the approach as unsolicited, non‑binding and conditional and said the board rejected the initial approach — the announcement creates more information flow but does not guarantee a deal. Beazley Rejects Initial Zurich Approach as Takeover Talks Loom
• Negative Sentiment: Initial rejection and the conditional/non‑binding nature of the approach mean outcomes are uncertain — negotiations could stall, a bid may not emerge, or regulatory/finance hurdles could limit deal terms, leaving shares exposed to a pullback if no firm bid materializes.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BEZ has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Beazley from GBX 1,050 to GBX 1,025 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Berenberg Bank dropped their price objective on Beazley from GBX 1,150 to GBX 1,100 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on Beazley from GBX 1,000 to GBX 1,100 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Peel Hunt reiterated an “add” rating and set a GBX 900 target price on shares of Beazley in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Beazley from GBX 1,000 to GBX 1,040 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of GBX 1,033.

Beazley Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of £6.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.63, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.68. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is GBX 829.24 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 855.62.

About Beazley

Beazley plc provides risk insurance and reinsurance solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, and internationally. It operates through Cyber Risks, Digital, MAP Risks, Property Risks, and Specialty Risks segments. The Cyber Risk segment underwrites cyber and technology risks. The Digital segment underwrites various marine, contingency, and SME liability risks through digital channels, such as e-trading platforms and broker portals. The MAP Risks segment underwrites marine, portfolio underwriting and political, and contingency business.