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

XPS Pensions Group plc (LON:XPS) was up 11.1% during trading on Saturday . The company traded as high as GBX 397 ($4.99) and last traded at GBX 385.45 ($4.85). Approximately 3,388,795 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 125% from the average daily volume of 1,504,858 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 347 ($4.37).

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

XPS Pensions Group Stock Performance

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

XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 21st. The company reported GBX 9.40 ($0.12) earnings per share (EPS) 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 paid a GBX 3.70 ($0.05) dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 9th. XPS Pensions Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 8.03%.

Insider Activity

In other XPS Pensions Group news, insider Alan Bannatyne purchased 13,033 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 349 ($4.39) per share, for a total transaction of £45,485.17 ($57,221.25). 5.14% of the stock is currently 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.