Marston’s (LON:MARS) Earns Buy Rating from Shore Capital

Marston’s (LON:MARS)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reaffirmed by investment analysts at Shore Capital in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on MARS. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Marston’s from GBX 78 to GBX 85 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Peel Hunt restated a “buy” rating and set a GBX 75 price objective on shares of Marston’s in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, Panmure Gordon restated a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 80 price objective on shares of Marston’s in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of GBX 80.

Marston’s Trading Down 11.9%

Shares of LON MARS traded down GBX 8.20 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching GBX 60.70. 64,611,738 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,905,274. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 198.96, a current ratio of 0.36 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The company has a market capitalization of £383.88 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.47, a P/E/G ratio of -0.16 and a beta of 1.68. Marston’s has a 12 month low of GBX 31.10 and a 12 month high of GBX 69.20. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 60.37 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 48.19.

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

Insider Transactions at Marston’s

In other Marston’s news, insider Justin Platt purchased 158,309 shares of Marston’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 24th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 59 per share, with a total value of £93,402.31. Corporate insiders own 1.32% of the company’s stock.

Marston’s News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Group like‑for‑like sales rose about 4% over the festive period, driven by holiday footfall — a clear demand signal for the pub estate. UK’s Marston’s sales rise 4%, boosted by holiday footfall
• Positive Sentiment: Company reported “strong festive trading” with c.4.0% like‑for‑like growth, reinforcing the win from seasonal trading and consumer demand. Marston’s reports strong festive trading with 4.0% like-for-like sales growth
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple outlets label this a “bumper Christmas” with group sales up ~4%, supporting revenue momentum heading into the new financial period. Marston’s cheers bumper Christmas as sales rise 4%
• Positive Sentiment: New pub formats are delivering results, suggesting successful execution of the roll‑out strategy and potential for improving revenue per site. Marston’s raises a glass to festive performance as new pub formats deliver results
• Positive Sentiment: Initiative to introduce an industry‑first induction programme for pub partners aims to attract, develop and retain operators — a potential margin/operational benefit over time. Marston’s introduces industry first induction programme for pub partners
• Neutral Sentiment: An opinion piece argues the activist investor is wrong, defending management strategy — this may reduce activist tail‑risk but is unlikely to move the stock materially by itself. Why Marston’s activist investor is wrong
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the sales beat, at least one report notes shares slipped — suggesting investors remain worried about margins, high leverage and whether the sales growth will translate into improved profitability. Marston’s sales boosted by Christmas trading but shares slip

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.