Mystery behind 43% surge since the start of 2023

Whitbread Plc (LON: WTB) stock has been garnering attention from investors, market watchers, and analysts. Its impressive bullish trend in recent years since October of 2022 made it a hot asset. In 2023 however, the stock price started rising in late March, starting at £2815, and since then, it has been on a steady upward trajectory. The bulls opened a gap-up in April, where the stock price rose to £3212. It shows a remarkable 14% increase in just one month.

Industry and the valuation

The hospitality industry has been showing continued growth, and this has reflected positively on WTB stock. The P.E. of WTB stock was 24, which was near the industry P.E. at the start of August. However, the stock rose more than 7.6% from that period. It is an indication of the company’s strong performance and investor confidence.

The role of the annual report in the uptrend

The gap-up opening in April was followed by the impressive financials that the stock delivered. The company made a revenue of £2.6B in 2022, which was over 54% from the previous year. Following net income, the firm made an impressive 6-fold net profit in 2022. 53% of this net profit was distributed to the shareholders as dividends. That comprised a dividend per share of £0.35

A future walkthrough

Currently, the valuation benchmarks for WTB stock are high. They may deter some investors looking for bargain opportunities. However, the underlooked part is the demand for travel and hospitality services, which is expected to increase in the upcoming years as the COVID-19 pandemic effects are almost neutralized. The company is well-equipped to capitalize on the new opportunity. All the reasons are enough for the investors to take long positions in the WTB stock price despite its overvaluation.

Technical Analysis and Prediction of WTB Stock Price

As of this writing, the WTB stock price has rebounded from its immediate resistance of £3656. It will test its immediate support level of £3496. Looking at the current price levels, the stock is likely to take a rebound when it hits its support as the trend is still upwards.

Moreover, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) was overbought at 70 when the stock rebounded from its resistance. The next time it moves, there will be more room for the bulls to push the RSI towards the 70th level, implying a likely breakout.

Conclusion:

Whitbread plc (LON: WTB) has been on an uptrend since the start of the year. With the positive financial reports of the company also take away the credit for this bullish sentiment. As of now, the stock price has taken a rebound from its resistance. The price prediction implied that the bulls would possibly break past this resistance level.

Technical Levels

Support: £3496, and £3356

Resistance: £3656, and £3798

Disclaimer

The views and opinions stated by the author, or any people named in this article, are for informational purposes only. They do not establish financial, investment, or other advice. Investing in or trading crypto assets comes with a risk of financial loss.