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

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group PLC (NYSE:LYG) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the eleven ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company.

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Kepler Capital Markets raised shares of Lloyds Banking Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. BNP Paribas Exane downgraded shares of Lloyds Banking Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Monday, December 1st.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lloyds Banking Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of LYG. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC grew its stake in Lloyds Banking Group by 2,671.6% during the third quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 5,959 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 5,744 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA increased its position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 115.2% in the third quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 6,092 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 3,261 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 6,406 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 3,203 shares in the last quarter. 2.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lloyds Banking Group Stock Performance

LYG stock opened at $5.55 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $5.18 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $4.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $81.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.86, a PEG ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 0.89. Lloyds Banking Group has a one year low of $2.97 and a one year high of $5.57.

Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.12 by ($0.07). The business had revenue of $6.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.02 billion. Lloyds Banking Group had a return on equity of 8.38% and a net margin of 18.04%. Research analysts forecast that Lloyds Banking Group will post 0.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Lloyds Banking Group

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.