Barclays (NYSE:BCS) Hits New 52-Week High After Strong Earnings

Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as high as $15.47 and last traded at $15.39, with a volume of 204018 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $14.88.

The financial services provider reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.19 by $0.15. Barclays had a return on equity of 6.30% and a net margin of 17.83%.

Barclays Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a dividend of $0.2737 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This is a boost from Barclays’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.27. This represents a yield of 2.7%. Barclays’s dividend payout ratio is currently 20.41%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com cut shares of Barclays from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 16th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Barclays

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in Barclays in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Activest Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Barclays during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Barclays in the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Barclays by 135.5% in the fourth quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 2,916 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 1,678 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new position in Barclays during the fourth quarter worth about $44,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 3.39% of the company’s stock.

Barclays Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $56.38 billion, a PE ratio of 10.63, a PEG ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.67, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 1.35. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $13.95 and its 200-day moving average is $12.92.

Barclays Company Profile

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.