XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS) Earns Buy Rating from Canaccord Genuity Group

XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reissued by equities research analysts at Canaccord Genuity Group in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Digital Look reports. They presently have a GBX 469 price target on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group’s price target indicates a potential upside of 39.79% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on XPS. Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded XPS Pensions Group to an “outperform” rating and raised their price objective for the company from GBX 430 to GBX 435 in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Berenberg Bank restated a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 440 price target on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a GBX 485 price objective on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of GBX 451.50.

XPS Pensions Group Stock Performance

LON:XPS traded up GBX 25.50 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching GBX 335.50. The stock had a trading volume of 2,789,886 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,029,786. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 312.20 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 311.81. The stock has a market cap of £681.17 million, a P/E ratio of 27.06 and a beta of 0.35. XPS Pensions Group has a 12-month low of GBX 275 and a 12-month high of GBX 368.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 44.65, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a current ratio of 1.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Michelle Cracknell bought 5,979 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 20th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 333 per share, with a total value of £19,910.07. Also, insider Ben Bramhall sold 302,077 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 340, for a total value of £1,027,061.80. Insiders sold 1,110,388 shares of company stock worth $373,250,270 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.03% of the company’s stock.

Key XPS Pensions Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting XPS Pensions Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: First-half revenue growth of 12% and a forecast for full-year results to come in slightly ahead of expectations provide the main bullish catalyst for XPS. XPS Pensions Reports 12% First-Half Revenue Growth and Raises Full-Year Expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Canaccord Genuity reaffirmed its “buy” rating and set a GBX 469 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels and reinforcing positive broker sentiment. Canaccord Genuity rating update
• Positive Sentiment: Several market reports highlighted the strong first-half performance and the improved outlook, helping explain the increased investor interest in the stock. XPS Pensions shares jump following strong first-half revenue growth
• Neutral Sentiment: XPS’s quarterly pensions commentary discusses the new prime minister’s focus on pensions. This may create longer-term opportunities for advisers, although the immediate financial impact is unclear. Quarterly Pensions Watch
• Negative Sentiment: Rising oil prices and higher global bond yields could increase market volatility and affect pension funding conditions, creating a potential headwind for clients and advisory activity. Rising oil prices and global bond yields
• Negative Sentiment: The stock’s move below its 200-day moving average was a technical warning, though the strong trading update appears to have outweighed that concern. XPS Stock Crosses Below 200-Day Moving Average

About XPS Pensions Group

XPS Group is a leading UK consulting and administration business specialising in the pensions and insurance sectors. A FTSE 250 company, XPS combines expertise and insight with advanced technology and analytics to address the needs of over 1,300 pension schemes and their sponsoring employers on an ongoing and project basis. We undertake pensions administration for over one million members and provide advisory services to schemes and corporate sponsors in respect of schemes of all sizes, including 83 with assets over £1bn.