Imperial Brands (LON:IMB) Hits New 12-Month High - What's Next?

Imperial Brands PLC (LON:IMB - Get Free Report)'s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as GBX 2,902 ($37.68) and last traded at GBX 2,901 ($37.67), with a volume of 9326826 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 2,822 ($36.64).Get Imperial Brands alerts:Imperial Brands Trading Up 2.8 %Altria Group stock gets smoked, but there’s a silver liningThe company has a quick ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 166.91. The company has a market cap of £24.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.29, a P/E/G ratio of 16.51 and a beta of 0.42. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 2,765.59 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 2,534.16. Imperial Brands Increases DividendThe business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 20th were given a GBX 54.26 ($0.70) dividend. This is an increase from Imperial Brands's previous dividend of $22.45. This represents a dividend yield of 2.43%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 20th. Imperial Brands's dividend payout ratio is currently 64.80%. Insider Activity at Imperial BrandsIn other Imperial Brands news, insider Jon Stanton acquired 398,802 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, January 6th. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 2,597 ($33.72) per share, for a total transaction of £10,356,887.94 ($13,448,757.23). Also, insider Stefan Bomhard sold 112,183 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 2,788 ($36.20), for a total value of £3,127,662.04 ($4,061,371.30). Corporate insiders own 7.33% of the company's stock. Imperial Brands Company Profile (Get Free Report)We are Imperial Brands, a global consumer-focused organisation and the fourth largest international tobacco company. We're driven by our purpose: to forge a path to a healthier future for moments of relaxation and pleasure. The world's one billion adult smokers are seeking new and potentially less harmful products and we are committed to meeting their diverse and evolving needs.Featured StoriesFive stocks we like better than Imperial BrandsWhat is a Dividend Harvesting Strategy and How Can Investors Profit from it?Celsius Heats Up: Acquisition, Analyst Upgrade Fuel MomentumMost Volatile Stocks, What Investors Need to KnowEquinix: A Smart Bet on Data Centers, Dividends, and AIHow to Use the MarketBeat Stock Screener PVH Stock Is Surging—Here’s What’s Fueling the ReboundThis instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.Should You Invest $1,000 in Imperial Brands Right Now?Before you consider Imperial Brands, you'll want to hear this.MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Imperial Brands wasn't on the list.While Imperial Brands currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.View The Five Stocks Here