Sapient Capital LLC Takes Position in Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG)

Sapient Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor acquired 81,524 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $195,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in LYG. Riversedge Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Radnor Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group in the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Cherrydale Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC bought a new position in Lloyds Banking Group in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. 2.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Bank of America upgraded Lloyds Banking Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, March 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $64.17.

Lloyds Banking Group Stock Performance

NYSE LYG opened at $2.48 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $2.40 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $2.25. Lloyds Banking Group plc has a 12-month low of $1.88 and a 12-month high of $2.72. The firm has a market cap of $39.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.19, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a quick ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.81.

Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Lloyds Banking Group had a return on equity of 11.29% and a net margin of 17.97%. The business had revenue of $19.05 billion for the quarter. On average, equities analysts forecast that Lloyds Banking Group plc will post 0.32 EPS for the current year.

Lloyds Banking Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 12th will be given a dividend of $0.046 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 11th. This represents a yield of 5.9%. Lloyds Banking Group’s payout ratio is currently 45.00%.

Lloyds Banking Group Company Profile

Lloyds Banking Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of banking and financial services in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates in three segments: Retail; Commercial Banking; and Insurance, Pensions and Investments. The Retail segment offers a range of financial service products, including current accounts, savings, mortgages, motor finance, unsecured loans, leasing solutions, and credit cards to personal customers.