Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) have been assigned an average rating of “Hold” from the ten research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $2.75.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered shares of Lloyds Banking Group from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Citigroup cut Lloyds Banking Group from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research note on Friday, October 4th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Finally, BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Lloyds Banking Group from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 5th.

Lloyds Banking Group Price Performance

NYSE:LYG opened at $3.19 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $3.06 and its two-hundred day moving average is $2.88. The company has a quick ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. The company has a market capitalization of $49.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.38 and a beta of 1.34. Lloyds Banking Group has a 52 week low of $1.88 and a 52 week high of $3.22.

Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The financial services provider reported $0.09 earnings per share for the quarter. Lloyds Banking Group had a net margin of 12.40% and a return on equity of 10.34%. The firm had revenue of $9.55 billion during the quarter. Equities analysts expect that Lloyds Banking Group will post 0.32 EPS for the current year.

Lloyds Banking Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 5th were given a $0.0546 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 5th. This is a positive change from Lloyds Banking Group’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.05. This represents a dividend yield of 4.4%. Lloyds Banking Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.32%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lloyds Banking Group

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group in the 4th quarter worth about $327,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its position in Lloyds Banking Group by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 22,166,362 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $52,978,000 after purchasing an additional 1,180,775 shares during the period. SageView Advisory Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $97,000. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $113,000. Finally, CWM LLC lifted its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 133.4% in the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 51,514 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $133,000 after buying an additional 29,444 shares in the last quarter. 2.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Lloyds Banking Group

Lloyds Banking Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of banking and financial services in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates in three segments: Retail; Commercial Banking; and Insurance, Pensions and Investments. The Retail segment offers a range of financial service products, including current accounts, savings, mortgages, motor finance, unsecured loans, leasing solutions, and credit cards to personal customers.