Lloyds Banking Group PLC (NYSE:LYG) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group PLC (NYSE:LYG) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eleven brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company.

LYG has been the subject of several analyst reports. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Lloyds Banking Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 23rd. Wall Street Zen lowered Lloyds Banking Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Finally, BNP Paribas lowered Lloyds Banking Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th.

Lloyds Banking Group Price Performance

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group stock opened at $5.39 on Monday. Lloyds Banking Group has a 1 year low of $2.56 and a 1 year high of $5.43. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $4.99 and its 200 day moving average is $4.59. The stock has a market cap of $79.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.39, a PEG ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 0.89.

Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.05 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.12 by ($0.07). The firm had revenue of $6.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.02 billion. Lloyds Banking Group had a net margin of 18.04% and a return on equity of 8.38%. On average, equities analysts expect that Lloyds Banking Group will post 0.27 EPS 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 the stock. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC lifted its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 2,671.6% in the third quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 5,959 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 5,744 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its position in 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 purchasing an additional 3,261 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its position 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 purchasing an additional 3,203 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 2.15% of the company’s stock.

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.