Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the ten ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $2.75.

LYG has been the subject of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Friday, October 4th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Citigroup downgraded shares of Lloyds Banking Group from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded shares of Lloyds Banking Group from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets assumed coverage on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company.

Lloyds Banking Group Trading Up 1.9 %

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group stock opened at $3.16 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $3.04 and a 200-day simple moving average of $2.86. Lloyds Banking Group has a 12-month low of $1.88 and a 12-month high of $3.18. The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. The stock has a market cap of $49.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.32 and a beta of 1.34.

Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The financial services provider reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Lloyds Banking Group had a net margin of 12.40% and a return on equity of 10.34%. The business had revenue of $9.55 billion during the quarter. On average, equities analysts forecast that Lloyds Banking Group will post 0.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lloyds Banking Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 5th were given a dividend of $0.0546 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 5th. This represents a yield of 4.4%. This is an increase from Lloyds Banking Group’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.05. Lloyds Banking Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.32%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lloyds Banking Group

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of LYG. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Lloyds Banking Group during the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. Interchange Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Intergy Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Susquehanna International Securities Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group in the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Tcwp LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 2.15% of the company’s stock.

About Lloyds Banking Group

Lloyds Banking Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of banking and financial services in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates in three segments: Retail; Commercial Banking; and Insurance, Pensions and Investments. The Retail segment offers a range of financial service products, including current accounts, savings, mortgages, motor finance, unsecured loans, leasing solutions, and credit cards to personal customers.