Crest Nicholson (LON:CRST) Stock Price Up 11.4% – Still a Buy?

Crest Nicholson Holdings plc (LON:CRST) was up 11.4% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as GBX 171.40 and last traded at GBX 167.80. Approximately 1,085,650 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 54% from the average daily volume of 2,346,765 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 150.60.

Key Crest Nicholson News

Here are the key news stories impacting Crest Nicholson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Two insiders (Martyn Clark and William Floydd) bought 130 shares each at GBX 153 on Feb 10 — a signal of confidence from management, though the transactions are very small (≈£199 each) and unlikely to materially change ownership. Insider Trades Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage is mixed: recent notes include upgrades and higher targets from Royal Bank of Canada and Jefferies, but downgrades/target cuts from JPMorgan and Berenberg. This creates divergent signals for investors and likely contributes to intraday volatility. MarketBeat Analyst Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Recent fundamentals remain a restraint: the company reported weak margins (negative net margin) and negative ROE in the latest quarter, and the stock trades at a high P/E alongside a small market cap and above-average volatility — factors that limit upside from small insider buys. Earnings & Fundamentals

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on CRST shares. Berenberg Bank cut their target price on Crest Nicholson from GBX 195 to GBX 180 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Crest Nicholson from GBX 190 to GBX 160 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a GBX 230 target price on shares of Crest Nicholson in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Peel Hunt restated an “add” rating and issued a GBX 190 target price on shares of Crest Nicholson in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of Crest Nicholson from GBX 205 to GBX 215 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of GBX 195.

Crest Nicholson Trading Up 11.4%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.94, a current ratio of 3.27 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The firm’s 50 day moving average is GBX 140.72 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 154.69. The company has a market capitalization of £430.65 million, a PE ratio of 186.44, a P/E/G ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 2.00.

Crest Nicholson (LON:CRST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported GBX 7.80 EPS for the quarter. Crest Nicholson had a negative return on equity of 3.47% and a negative net margin of 4.21%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Crest Nicholson Holdings plc will post 9.0980939 EPS for the current year.

Crest Nicholson Company Profile

Crest Nicholson Holdings plc engages in building residential homes in the United Kingdom. It develops and sells apartments, houses, and commercial properties. The company was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Addlestone, the United Kingdom.