XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS) Trading Up 11.1% – Should You Buy?

XPS Pensions Group plc (LON:XPS) shot up 11.1% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as GBX 397 ($5.00) and last traded at GBX 385.45 ($4.85). 3,388,795 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 125% from the average session volume of 1,504,858 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 347 ($4.37).

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on XPS. Shore Capital reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Canaccord Genuity Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 401 ($5.05) price objective on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and set a GBX 435 ($5.48) target price on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of GBX 356.50 ($4.49).

XPS Pensions Group Stock Performance

The stock’s 50-day moving average price is GBX 343.54 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 331.24. The company has a market cap of £795.95 million, a P/E ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.52, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.51.

XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 21st. The company reported GBX 9.40 ($0.12) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. XPS Pensions Group had a net margin of 128.13% and a return on equity of 156.24%.

XPS Pensions Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 7th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 9th were paid a GBX 3.70 ($0.05) dividend. This represents a yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 9th. XPS Pensions Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.03%.

Insider Activity at XPS Pensions Group

In related news, insider Alan Bannatyne purchased 13,033 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 21st. The stock was acquired at an average price of GBX 349 ($4.39) per share, with a total value of £45,485.17 ($57,250.06). 5.14% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About XPS Pensions Group

XPS Group is a leading UK consulting and administration business specialising in the pensions and insurance sectors. A FTSE 250 company, XPS combines expertise and insight with advanced technology and analytics to address the needs of over 1,400 pension schemes and their sponsoring employers on an ongoing and project basis.