Bryan Garnier & Cie upgraded shares of GlaxoSmithKline plc (NYSE:GSK) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Wednesday, MarketBeat.Com reports.

Shares of GlaxoSmithKline plc (NYSE:GSK) traded up 0.10% during trading on Wednesday, reaching $40.64. 5,344,813 shares of the company traded hands. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $39.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $40.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $98.27 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.07. GlaxoSmithKline plc has a 12-month low of $37.24 and a 12-month high of $49.08.

GlaxoSmithKline plc (NYSE:GSK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The pharmaceutical company reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $6.13 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.07 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.28 earnings per share. GlaxoSmithKline plc’s revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that GlaxoSmithKline plc will post $2.28 EPS for the current year.

GSK has been the topic of several other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of GlaxoSmithKline plc from an underweight rating to a neutral rating in a report on Monday, October 12th. Vetr raised shares of GlaxoSmithKline plc from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating and set a $46.15 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 10th. Bank of America raised shares of GlaxoSmithKline plc from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, December 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on shares of GlaxoSmithKline plc from $40.00 to $43.00 in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research raised shares of GlaxoSmithKline plc from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, January 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. The company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $46.03.

Several hedge funds and institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Company increased its position in shares of GlaxoSmithKline plc by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Company now owns 12,696 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $512,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the period. Crow Point Partners increased its position in shares of GlaxoSmithKline plc by 25.6% in the third quarter. Crow Point Partners now owns 1,080 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 220 shares during the period. Curbstone Financial Management purchased a new position in shares of GlaxoSmithKline plc during the fourth quarter worth about $448,000. Trust Company of Virginia increased its position in shares of GlaxoSmithKline plc by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Trust Company of Virginia now owns 118,558 shares of the pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $4,784,000 after buying an additional 2,373 shares during the period. Finally, Park National purchased a new position in shares of GlaxoSmithKline plc during the fourth quarter worth about $258,000.

GlaxoSmithKline plc. (NYSE:GSK) is a healthcare company that researches and develops pharmaceuticals, vaccines and consumer healthcare products. The Company operates in two segments: Pharmaceuticals and Vaccines, and Consumer Healthcare. The Pharmaceuticals segment develops and makes medicines to treat a range of acute and chronic diseases. Its human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) business is managed through ViiV Healthcare. GSK’s Vaccines has a portfolio of over 30 paediatric, adolescent, adult travel vaccines. GSK’s Established Products Portfolio includes over 50 off-patent products, as well as its branded generics business and other local products. The Consumer Healthcare business develops and markets products in four categories, such as wellness, oral health, nutrition and skin health. Its brands include Sensodyne, Panadol, Horlicks, Polident, Paradontax, Tums, ENO, NiQuitin/Nicorette, Abreva, Zovirax and Aquafresh. It operates in the United Kingdom, the United States, Belgium and China.

12 Month Chart for NYSE:GSK

Receive News & Ratings for GlaxoSmithKline plc Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for GlaxoSmithKline plc and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.