XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS) Trading 11.1% Higher – Here’s Why

XPS Pensions Group plc (LON:XPS) traded up 11.1% on Saturday . The company traded as high as GBX 397 ($4.99) and last traded at GBX 385.45 ($4.85). 3,388,795 shares changed 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 Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Canaccord Genuity Group restated a “buy” rating and set a GBX 401 ($5.04) price objective on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Shore Capital restated a “hold” rating on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a GBX 435 ($5.47) target price on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, XPS Pensions Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of GBX 356.50 ($4.48).

XPS Pensions Group Stock Up 11.1 %

The company has a 50-day moving average of GBX 343.54 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 331.31. The company has a market capitalization of £795.95 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.52.

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

XPS Pensions Group Cuts Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Alan Bannatyne bought 13,033 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 349 ($4.39) per share, with a total value of £45,485.17 ($57,221.25). Corporate insiders own 5.14% of the company’s stock.

XPS Pensions Group Company Profile

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.