Lloyds Banking Group PLC (NYSE:LYG) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group PLC (NYSE:LYG) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eleven brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company.

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Lloyds Banking Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. UBS Group upgraded Lloyds Banking Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weiss Ratings lowered Lloyds Banking Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th.

Lloyds Banking Group Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group stock opened at $5.42 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $79.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.31, a P/E/G ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.09, a current ratio of 0.56 and a quick ratio of 0.56. Lloyds Banking Group has a 52-week low of $3.98 and a 52-week high of $6.34. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $5.31 and a 200-day simple moving average of $5.34.

Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The financial services provider reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $6.87 billion during the quarter. Lloyds Banking Group had a return on equity of 10.63% and a net margin of 25.11%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Lloyds Banking Group will post 0.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lloyds Banking Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LYG. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD acquired a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $285,004,000. WCM Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Lloyds Banking Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $128,228,000. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new position in Lloyds Banking Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $63,928,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its position in Lloyds Banking Group by 2,413.7% in the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 3,113,464 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $15,661,000 after buying an additional 2,989,604 shares during the period. Finally, UBS Group AG increased its position in Lloyds Banking Group by 53.9% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 6,614,695 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $30,031,000 after buying an additional 2,317,927 shares during the period. 2.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lloyds Banking Group Company Profile

Lloyds Banking Group plc is a UK-based banking and financial services company that provides a broad range of retail, commercial and insurance products. Its principal consumer-facing brands include Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, through which it offers current accounts, savings, mortgages, credit cards and personal loans. The group also delivers services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and larger corporate clients, supplying business accounts, lending, payments and cash-management solutions.

In addition to core banking, Lloyds operates a significant wealth and insurance arm under the Scottish Widows brand, offering life insurance, pensions, investment and retirement planning products.