Barclays (NYSE:BCS) Raised to Strong-Buy at StockNews.com

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) was upgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued on Thursday.

A number of other research analysts have also recently issued reports on BCS. Kepler Capital Markets initiated coverage on Barclays in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Barclays in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. They set a “buy” rating for the company.

Barclays Stock Down 2.6 %

NYSE:BCS opened at $12.98 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.67, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.35. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $13.06 and its 200-day moving average price is $12.06. The company has a market capitalization of $46.83 billion, a PE ratio of 8.83 and a beta of 1.41. Barclays has a 1-year low of $7.07 and a 1-year high of $13.83.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.56 earnings per share for the quarter. Barclays had a net margin of 17.83% and a return on equity of 6.30%. The business had revenue of $8.52 billion for the quarter. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.42 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Barclays will post 1.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Barclays

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BCS. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Barclays by 1,362.1% during the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 19,682,115 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $210,762,000 after purchasing an additional 18,335,937 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in Barclays in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $52,335,000. Natixis Advisors LLC raised its stake in Barclays by 286.1% during the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 3,565,033 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $43,315,000 after buying an additional 2,641,608 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its stake in shares of Barclays by 190.9% in the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 3,661,086 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $39,210,000 after buying an additional 2,402,500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in shares of Barclays by 118.7% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 2,709,312 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $29,017,000 after acquiring an additional 1,470,523 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 3.39% of the company’s stock.

About Barclays

Barclays PLC provides various financial services in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The company operates through Barclays UK and Barclays International division segments. It offers financial services, such as retail banking, credit cards, wholesale banking, investment banking, wealth management, and investment management services.