Lloyds Banking Group PLC (NYSE:LYG) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group PLC (NYSE:LYG) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the ten ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, five have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company.

Several research firms have weighed in on LYG. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Monday, November 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Kepler Capital Markets raised shares of Lloyds Banking Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Zacks Research lowered Lloyds Banking Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 23rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Lloyds Banking Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th.

Lloyds Banking Group Stock Performance

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group stock opened at $5.12 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $75.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 0.90. Lloyds Banking Group has a twelve month low of $2.56 and a twelve month high of $5.22. The company’s fifty day moving average is $4.71 and its 200 day moving average is $4.45. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94.

Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.05 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.12 by ($0.07). The firm had revenue of $6.56 billion during 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%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Lloyds Banking Group will post 0.27 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lloyds Banking Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LYG. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC grew its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 2,671.6% during the third quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 5,959 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 5,744 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA increased 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 buying an additional 3,261 shares during the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 100.0% in the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 6,406 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 3,203 shares during the period. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors own 2.15% of the company’s stock.

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.