Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) Shares Sold by Anchor Investment Management LLC

Anchor Investment Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) by 24.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 78,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 25,000 shares during the period. Anchor Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Lloyds Banking Group were worth $213,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Lloyds Banking Group in the second quarter valued at $28,000. Interchange Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Lloyds Banking Group in the second quarter valued at $28,000. Warren Street Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Lloyds Banking Group in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Intergy Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Lloyds Banking Group in the second quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 2.15% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on LYG. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered Lloyds Banking Group from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Kepler Capital Markets began coverage on Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Thursday, September 5th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Friday. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, Citigroup lowered Lloyds Banking Group from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $2.75.

Lloyds Banking Group Stock Performance

Shares of LYG stock opened at $3.09 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $3.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $2.83. The firm has a market cap of $48.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.13 and a beta of 1.34. Lloyds Banking Group plc has a 1 year low of $1.88 and a 1 year high of $3.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a current ratio of 1.45.

Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG) last announced its earnings results 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 business had revenue of $9.55 billion during the quarter. Analysts predict that Lloyds Banking Group plc will post 0.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Lloyds Banking Group Increases Dividend

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

Lloyds Banking Group Company Profile

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.