Empire Company Limited Senior Officer Sells Stock Worth C$376,211.84

On December 16th, Simon Gagne, a Senior Officer at Empire Company Limited (TSE:EMP.A - Get Free Report), sold 8,458 shares of the company’s stock. The shares were sold at an average price of C$44.48, amounting to a total of C$376,211.84.

Empire Stock Performance

On Wednesday, Empire stock experienced a slight increase of 0.2%, rising by C$0.07 and reaching C$44.46 during trading hours. The trading volume for the day was 297,843 shares, which is less than the average volume of 407,658 shares. The company’s financial ratios include a debt-to-equity ratio of 135.51, a quick ratio of 0.29, and a current ratio of 0.79. With a market capitalization of C$6.24 billion, Empire has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 16.23 and a beta value of 0.48. Over the past year, the stock has fluctuated between a low of C$31.45 and a high of C$46.77, with its 50-day moving average situated at C$41.58, and the 200-day moving average at C$37.99.

Dividends by Empire

Empire Company also declared a quarterly dividend recently, which was paid to shareholders on October 31st. Those on record as of that date received a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was October 15th. This translates to an annualized dividend of $0.80, providing a yield of 1.80%. Presently, Empire's dividend payout ratio stands at 29.20%.

Analyst Opinions

Empire Company has received attention from various analysts. National Bankshares raised its target price on the stock from C$42.00 to C$46.00 and categorized it as a “sector perform” in a report dated September 13th. Similarly, Royal Bank of Canada increased its price objective from C$42.00 to C$46.00 on November 12th. CIBC issued a research note on December 13th changing their target from C$47.00 to C$55.00. TD Securities also raised their target price from C$44.00 to C$48.00 while maintaining a “hold” rating. Desjardins increased their forecast from C$47.00 to C$50.00. Overall, four analysts recommend holding the stock while three suggest buying it. According to consensus ratings by MarketBeat.com, Empire has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a target price of C$48.57.

About Empire Company Limited

Empire Company Limited is involved in food retailing, investments, and other operations. Its food retailing segment, mainly through its subsidiary Sobeys, generates nearly all of the company’s income. This division operates over 1,500 stores across 10 provinces under various retail brands, including Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, Lawton's Drug Stores, and several retail fuel locations.

Empire, Stock, Sell