Financial Trading Blog

Stock of the day 27/05/2016 – Johnson Matthey PLC




A dire run of trading across most of 2015 showed no signs of abating as 2016 began, with Johnson Matthey plunging from £26.27 to £22.39 in the first 6-ish weeks of the year. That decline was not only caused by the general malaise that plagued the markets at the start of the year, but by the negative reaction to the company’s third quarter statement.

Johnson Matthey PLC Chart May 2016 Spreadex Financial Spread Betting
(Source: IT-Finance.com 27/05/2016)

That update saw Johnson Matthey post a 3% rise total sales from continuing businesses, though it wasn’t all hunky dory. The main thrust of the company’s growth came, as ever, from its emission control technologies division (which manufactures auto catalysts for cars), which saw sales surge 6% to £459 million, outstripping actual global car production. Its petrochemical catalysts-producing process technologies division, however, dropped 11% thanks to the economic slowdown in China, while precious metals product sales slumped by 17% following the plunging platinum price.

Yet from that year-nadir Johnson Matthey began to rise, hitting the £27 mark by the start of April. The company then received another big boost as Credit Suisse pointed to its potential for ‘structural growth opportunity’ in light of the Volkswagen emissions scandal, sending Johnson Matthey to an 8 and a half month high of towards the end of April.

Since then the stock has chugged along near that peak, sitting at a current trading price of £28.76 (IT-Finance.com, 27/05/2016).

Johnson Matthey PLC has a consensus rating of ‘Buy’ with a consensus rating of £31.41.


DISCLAIMER


Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 64% of retail investors lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. For professional clients, spread betting and CFD trading can also result in losses larger than your initial stake or deposit.

Spreadex Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, provides an execution only service and does not provide advice in any way. Nothing within this update should be deemed to constitute the provision of investment advice, recommendations, any other professional advice in any way, or a record of our trading prices. This update does not constitute or form part of an offer of, or solicitation for a transaction in any financial instrument, nor shall it or the fact of its distribution form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract therefore. Any persons placing trades based on their interpretation of the comments or information within this update does so entirely at their own risk.

No representation, warranty, or undertaking, express or limited, is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information or opinions contained within this update by Spreadex Ltd or any of its employees and no liability is accepted by such persons for the accuracy or completeness of any such information or opinions. As such, no reliance may be placed for any purpose on the information and opinions contained within this update.

The information contained within this update is the intellectual property of Spreadex Ltd and is protected by UK and International copyright laws. All rights reserved. Users may however freely download, distribute and reproduce extracts of the contents, subject always to accrediting Spreadex Ltd as the source and providing a hyperlink to www.spreadex.com.