Lloyds Banking Group (LON:LLOY) Reaches New 1-Year High – Here’s What Happened

Lloyds Banking Group plc (LON:LLOY)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as GBX 103.30 and last traded at GBX 103.25, with a volume of 932830813 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 101.40.

Key Lloyds Banking Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Lloyds Banking Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target for LLOY from GBX 102 to GBX 117 (maintaining a “neutral” rating), giving a near-term valuation tailwind and signalling some broker confidence in the stock’s outlook. Analyst Price Target Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage pieces highlight Lloyds’ strong capital position and the appeal of its dividend, which supports income-focused investors and underpins valuation multiples. Dividend Appeal
• Positive Sentiment: Lloyds is rolling out an AI Academy to train all ~67,000 staff — a strategic investment in digital capability that could improve productivity and lower future costs if executed well. AI Academy Launch
• Positive Sentiment: Investor commentary/upgrade pieces (e.g., Seeking Alpha) note the share price reclaiming the £1 level and an improved rating outlook, which can attract momentum buyers. Rating/Upgrade Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Lloyds disclosed details about unallotted shares after the end of the UK block listing regime — a technical update that may have limited direct impact but is relevant for corporate governance and float dynamics. Unallotted Shares Announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst previews and strategy pieces (IG, FinTechMag) note the upcoming full‑year results (29 Jan) and focus on consumer behaviour — items to watch but not immediate drivers until results are released. Full-Year Results Preview
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple articles report new branch closures (five branches plus other planned closures) and the final closure of a historic Cornwall branch; branch cuts can reduce customer access, prompt local deposit outflows, and attract negative headlines. Branch Closures
• Negative Sentiment: Lloyds’ CEO publicly urged rate cuts to boost the economy while data shows the fastest job cuts in five years — signals of macro weakness that could pressure loan demand, impairments and investor sentiment. CEO Rate-Cut Call & Job Cuts
• Negative Sentiment: Local stories about the historic Cornwall branch closure add to negative PR and may amplify short-term sentiment selling despite being operationally small. Historic Branch Closure

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 105 price target on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Lloyds Banking Group from GBX 102 to GBX 117 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on Lloyds Banking Group from GBX 100 to GBX 110 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Lloyds Banking Group from GBX 84 to GBX 97 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Shore Capital restated a “hold” rating and issued a GBX 84 target price on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lloyds Banking Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of GBX 103.71.

Lloyds Banking Group Price Performance

The company has a market cap of £59.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.69, a PEG ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 1.23. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 96.35 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 87.42.

Lloyds Banking Group (LON:LLOY) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The financial services provider reported GBX 6.30 EPS for the quarter. Lloyds Banking Group had a return on equity of 11.22% and a net margin of 16.66%. As a group, analysts forecast that Lloyds Banking Group plc will post 7.3199528 earnings per share for the current year.

About Lloyds Banking Group

We are the largest UK retail and commercial financial services provider with over 25 million customers and a presence in nearly every community.

The Group’s main business activities are retail and commercial banking, general insurance and long-term savings, provided through the largest branch network and digital bank in the UK, with well recognised brands including Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Scottish Widows.

Our shares are quoted on the London and New York stock exchanges and we are one of the largest companies in the FTSE 100 index.