HSBC (NYSE:HSBC) Downgraded to “Sell” Rating by StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of HSBC (NYSE:HSBC) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note published on Monday morning.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating on shares of HSBC in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of HSBC from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

HSBC Stock Performance

Shares of HSBC stock opened at $60.35 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $52.46 and a 200-day moving average of $47.87. HSBC has a one year low of $36.93 and a one year high of $61.42. The company has a market cap of $216.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.54.

HSBC (NYSE:HSBC) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The financial services provider reported $1.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $11.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.79 billion. HSBC had a return on equity of 12.20% and a net margin of 16.17%. Equities research analysts forecast that HSBC will post 6.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HSBC Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Investors of record on Friday, March 7th will be paid a $1.80 dividend. This represents a $7.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 11.93%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 7th. HSBC’s dividend payout ratio is currently 115.81%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HSBC

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HSBC. Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of HSBC during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $86,000. Forum Financial Management LP lifted its position in shares of HSBC by 61.6% during the fourth quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 43,317 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,142,000 after acquiring an additional 16,516 shares in the last quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of HSBC by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 20,203 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $999,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares during the period. Principal Street Partners LLC grew its position in shares of HSBC by 21.1% in the fourth quarter. Principal Street Partners LLC now owns 5,798 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $287,000 after purchasing an additional 1,012 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Advisers LP raised its stake in shares of HSBC by 16.4% during the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 58,100 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,874,000 after purchasing an additional 8,200 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 1.48% of the company’s stock.

About HSBC

HSBC Holdings plc provides banking and financial services worldwide. The company operates through Wealth and Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Global Banking and Markets segments. The Wealth and Personal Banking segment offers retail banking and wealth products, including current and savings accounts, mortgages and personal loans, credit and debit cards, and local and international payment services; and wealth management services comprising insurance and investment products, global asset management services, investment management, and private wealth solutions.