How to buy GlaxoSmithKline shares

GlaxoSmithKline plc is a drug manufacturers-general business with stocks listed in the US. GlaxoSmithKline shares (GSK) are listed on the NYSE and all prices are listed in US Dollars. Its last market close was US$34.38 – a decrease of -INF% over the previous week. Here's how to invest if you're based in Australia.

How to buy shares in GlaxoSmithKline

1. Compare share trading platforms. To buy shares in a US company from Australia you'll need to find a trading platform that offers access to US stock markets. If you're just starting out, look for a platform with low brokerage and foreign exchange fees.
2. Open and fund your brokerage account. Complete an application with your personal and financial details, like your ID and tax file number. Fund your account with a bank transfer, credit card or debit card.
3. Search for GlaxoSmithKline. Find the share by name or ticker symbol: GSK. Research its history to confirm it's a solid investment against your financial goals.
4. Purchase now or later. Buy today with a market order or use a limit order to delay your purchase until GlaxoSmithKline reaches your desired price. To spread out your risk, look into dollar-cost averaging, which smooths out buying at consistent intervals and amounts.
5. Decide on how many to buy. At last close price of US$34.38, weigh your budget against a diversified portfolio that can minimise risk through the market's ups and downs. You may be able to buy a fractional share of GlaxoSmithKline, depending on your broker.
6. Check in on your investment. Congratulations, you own a part of GlaxoSmithKline. Optimise your portfolio by tracking how your stock — and even the business — performs with an eye on the long term. You may be eligible for dividends and shareholder voting rights on directors and management that can affect your stock.

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GlaxoSmithKline share price

Use our graph to track the performance of GSK stocks over time.

GlaxoSmithKline shares at a glance

• Key figures

Information last updated 2021-02-23.

52-week range	US$29.7795 - US$41.1067
50-day moving average	US$37.0041
200-day moving average	US$37.5861
Target price	US$48.5
PE ratio	34.6573
Dividend yield	US$1.058 (3.07%)
Earnings per share (TTM)	US$0.992

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The value of your investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is no indication of future results.

Is it a good time to buy GlaxoSmithKline stock?

The technical analysis gauge below displays real-time ratings for the timeframes you select. This is not a recommendation, however. It represents a technical analysis based on the most popular technical indicators: Moving Averages, Oscillators and Pivots. Finder might not concur and takes no responsibility.

Technical Analysis of GlaxoSmithKline plc by TradingView

GlaxoSmithKline price performance over time

Historical closes compared with the close of $34.38 on 2021-02-25

1 week (2021-02-20)	N/A
1 month (2021-01-30)	N/A
3 months (2020-11-29)	N/A
6 months (2020-08-30)	N/A

1 year (2020-02-28)	-15.17%
2 years (2019-02-28)	-14.82%
3 years (2018-02-28)	-5.32%
5 years (2016-02-28)	N/A

Is GlaxoSmithKline under- or over-valued?

Valuing GlaxoSmithKline stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of GlaxoSmithKline's overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge the value of a stock.

GlaxoSmithKline's P/E ratio

GlaxoSmithKline's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over a 12-month period gives a "trailing price/earnings ratio" of roughly 35x. In other words, GlaxoSmithKline shares trade at around 35x recent earnings.

That's relatively high compared to, say, the trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the NASDAQ 100 at the end of 2019 (27.29). The high P/E ratio could mean that investors are optimistic about the outlook for the shares or simply that they're over-valued.

GlaxoSmithKline's PEG ratio

GlaxoSmithKline's "price/earnings-to-growth ratio" can be calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its growth – to give 8.1242. A low ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer better value, while a higher ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer worse value.

The PEG ratio provides a broader view than just the P/E ratio, as it gives more insight into GlaxoSmithKline's future profitability. By accounting for growth, it could also help you if you're comparing the share prices of multiple high-growth companies.

GlaxoSmithKline financials

Gross profit TTM	US$23.2 billion
Return on assets TTM	6.29%
Return on equity TTM	32.62%
Profit margin	16.86%
Book value	2.406
Market capitalisation	US$84.9 billion

TTM: trailing 12 months

Shorting GlaxoSmithKline shares

There are currently 14.2 million GlaxoSmithKline shares held short by investors – that's known as GlaxoSmithKline's "short interest". This figure is 8.4% up from 13.1 million last month.

There are a few different ways that this level of interest in shorting GlaxoSmithKline shares can be evaluated.

GlaxoSmithKline's "short interest ratio" (SIR)

GlaxoSmithKline's "short interest ratio" (SIR) is the quantity of GlaxoSmithKline shares currently shorted divided by the average quantity of GlaxoSmithKline shares traded daily (recently around 4.3 million). GlaxoSmithKline's SIR currently stands at 3.31. In other words for every 100,000 GlaxoSmithKline shares traded daily on the market, roughly 3310 shares are currently held short.

However GlaxoSmithKline's short interest can also be evaluated against the total number of GlaxoSmithKline shares, or, against the total number of tradable GlaxoSmithKline shares (the shares that aren't held by "insiders" or major long-term shareholders – also known as the "float"). In this case GlaxoSmithKline's short interest could be expressed as 0.01% of the outstanding shares (for every 100,000 GlaxoSmithKline shares in existence, roughly 10 shares are currently held short) or 0% of the tradable shares (for every 100,000 tradable GlaxoSmithKline shares, roughly 0 shares are currently held short).

Such a low SIR usually points to an optimistic outlook for the share price, with fewer people currently willing to bet against GlaxoSmithKline.

Find out more about how you can short GlaxoSmithKline stock.

GlaxoSmithKline share dividends

Dividend payout ratio: 70.68% of net profits

Recently GlaxoSmithKline has paid out, on average, around 70.68% of net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 6.13% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), GlaxoSmithKline shareholders could enjoy a 6.13% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In GlaxoSmithKline's case, that would currently equate to about $1.058 per share.

GlaxoSmithKline's payout ratio would broadly be considered high, and as such this stock could appeal to those looking to generate an income. Bear in mind however that companies should normally also look to re-invest a decent amount of net profits to ensure future growth.

GlaxoSmithKline's most recent dividend payout was on 8 April 2021. The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 18 February 2021 (the "ex-dividend date").

Have GlaxoSmithKline's shares ever split?

GlaxoSmithKline's shares were split on a 2:1 basis on 12 November 1991. So if you had owned 1 share the day before before the split, the next day you'd have owned 2 shares. This wouldn't directly have changed the overall worth of your GlaxoSmithKline shares – just the quantity. However, indirectly, the new 50% lower share price could have impacted the market appetite for GlaxoSmithKline shares which in turn could have impacted GlaxoSmithKline's share price.

GlaxoSmithKline share price volatility

Over the last 12 months, GlaxoSmithKline's shares have ranged in value from as little as US$29.7795 up to US$41.1067. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".

Beta is a measure of a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (NYSE average) beta is 1, while GlaxoSmithKline's is 0.3633. This would suggest that GlaxoSmithKline's shares are less volatile than average (for this exchange).

GlaxoSmithKline overview

GlaxoSmithKline plc engages in the creation, discovery, development, manufacture, and marketing of pharmaceutical products, vaccines, over-the-counter medicines, and health-related consumer products in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Pharmaceuticals, Pharmaceuticals R&D, Vaccines, and Consumer Healthcare. The company offers pharmaceutical products comprising medicines in the therapeutic areas, such as respiratory, HIV, immuno-inflammation, oncology, anti-viral, central nervous system, cardiovascular and urogenital, metabolic, anti-bacterial, and dermatology. It also provides consumer healthcare products in wellness, oral health, nutrition, and skin health categories. The company offers its consumer healthcare products in the form of nasal sprays, tablets, syrups, lozenges, gum and trans-dermal patches, caplets, infant syrup drops, liquid filled suspension, wipes, gels, effervescents, toothpastes, toothbrushes, mouthwashes, denture adhesives and cleansers, topical creams and non-medicated patches, lip balm, gummies, and soft chews. It has collaboration agreements with 23andMe; Merck KGaA; Lyell Immunopharma; Novartis; CEPI; Innovax and Xiamen University; VBI; Viome; Sanofi SA; and CureVac. GlaxoSmithKline plc was founded in 1715 and is headquartered in Brentford, the United Kingdom.

Frequently asked questions

• What percentage of GlaxoSmithKline is owned by insiders or institutions?

  Currently 0.011% of GlaxoSmithKline shares are held by insiders and 11.88% by institutions.

• When does the fiscal year end for GlaxoSmithKline?

  GlaxoSmithKline's fiscal year ends in December.

• Where is GlaxoSmithKline based?

  GlaxoSmithKline's address is: 980 Great West Road, Brentford, United Kingdom, TW8 9GS

• What is GlaxoSmithKline's ISIN number?

  GlaxoSmithKline's international securities identification number is: US37733W1053

• What is GlaxoSmithKline's CUSIP number?

  GlaxoSmithKline's Committee on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures number is: 37733W105