Simplicity Solutions LLC Acquires 675 Shares of HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC)

Simplicity Solutions LLC lifted its position in HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC) by 11.7% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 6,424 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 675 shares during the period. Simplicity Solutions LLC’s holdings in HSBC were worth $260,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in HSBC. Milestone Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in HSBC in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. purchased a new position in HSBC during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Assetmark Inc. purchased a new position in HSBC during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Paradigm Asset Management Co. LLC purchased a new position in HSBC during the 3rd quarter valued at about $39,000. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc increased its position in HSBC by 71.2% during the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,027 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 427 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 1.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HSBC has been the topic of a number of research reports. BNP Paribas downgraded shares of HSBC from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. Barclays reissued an “equal weight” rating on shares of HSBC in a research report on Wednesday, March 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, HSBC has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $811.00.

HSBC Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HSBC opened at $40.52 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. HSBC Holdings plc has a 12 month low of $34.89 and a 12 month high of $42.47. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $39.28 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $39.06. The stock has a market cap of $153.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.11, a PEG ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.63.

HSBC (NYSE:HSBC) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 21st. The financial services provider reported $0.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.90 by ($0.33). HSBC had a net margin of 19.02% and a return on equity of 12.89%. The firm had revenue of $13.02 billion during the quarter. As a group, analysts predict that HSBC Holdings plc will post 7.24 earnings per share for the current year.

HSBC Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 25th. Investors of record on Friday, March 8th will be paid a $1.55 dividend. This is a boost from HSBC’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. This represents a $6.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 15.30%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 7th. HSBC’s payout ratio is currently 108.42%.

HSBC Profile

HSBC Holdings plc provides banking and financial services worldwide. The company operates through Wealth and Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Global Banking and Markets segments. The Wealth and Personal Banking segment offers retail banking and wealth products, including current and savings accounts, mortgages and personal loans, credit and debit cards, and local and international payment services; and wealth management services comprising insurance and investment products, global asset management services, investment management, and private wealth solutions.