Marston’s (LON:MARS) Shares Down 13.2% – Time to Sell?

Marston’s PLC (LON:MARS)’s share price fell 13.2% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as GBX 57.45 and last traded at GBX 59.80. 66,252,336 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 1,006% from the average session volume of 5,991,621 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 68.90.

Key Headlines Impacting Marston’s

Here are the key news stories impacting Marston’s this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Shore Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating on Marston’s, supporting the case that some brokers still see upside in the shares. Shore Capital buy rating
• Positive Sentiment: Company reports strong Christmas/festive trading, with management calling the holiday period a standout and citing improved footfall. Marston’s toasts strong Christmas trading
• Positive Sentiment: Like‑for‑like sales rose about 4.0% over the festive period, evidence that the group’s new formats and trading initiatives are driving revenue gains. Marston’s reports 4.0% LFL sales growth
• Positive Sentiment: Management says an accelerated roll‑out of new pub formats is delivering further trading momentum, a potential driver of future growth if execution continues. Marston’s accelerates pub format roll-out
• Positive Sentiment: Marston’s launched an industry‑first induction programme aimed at attracting and retaining pub operators, which could help sustain operational performance and reduce franchisee churn. Induction programme for pub partners
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor commentary and opinion pieces are active (including perspectives on an activist investor), keeping the stock in focus but adding debate rather than clear directional news. Why Marston’s activist investor is wrong
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the festive uplift, headlines flagged flat quarterly sales in the latest update — the immediate trigger cited for heavy selling and the sharp share decline reported by multiple outlets. Shares plunge 16% on flat quarterly sales
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple reports note that the shares have slid sharply despite the upbeat trading tone, suggesting the market is focused on near‑term momentum, underlying margins or balance‑sheet concerns rather than the headline sales growth. Marston’s reports strong festive sales but shares slide

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Panmure Gordon reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 80 target price on shares of Marston’s in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Peel Hunt reissued a “buy” rating and set a GBX 75 target price on shares of Marston’s in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Marston’s from GBX 78 to GBX 85 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Shore Capital reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Marston’s in a research note on Wednesday. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of GBX 80.

Marston’s Trading Down 13.4%

The company has a current ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 198.96. The company has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 60.37 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 48.19. The firm has a market capitalization of £377.55 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.38, a PEG ratio of -0.16 and a beta of 1.68.

Marston’s (LON:MARS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, December 15th. The company reported GBX 8.50 earnings per share for the quarter. Marston’s had a negative return on equity of 2.72% and a negative net margin of 1.91%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Marston’s PLC will post 8.364486 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Marston’s

In other news, insider Justin Platt bought 158,309 shares of Marston’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 24th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 59 per share, with a total value of £93,402.31. Insiders own 1.32% of the company’s stock.

About Marston’s

Marston’s PLC operates managed, franchised, tenanted, partnership, and leased pubs in the United Kingdom. It is also involved in the property management; telecommunications; and insurance businesses. The company was formerly known as The Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries PLC and changed its name to Marston’s PLC in January 2007. The company was founded in 1834 and is based in Wolverhampton, the United Kingdom.