Barclays (NYSE:BCS) Hits New 1-Year High – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $13.12 and last traded at $13.09, with a volume of 579537 shares. The stock had previously closed at $12.47.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Kepler Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Barclays in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. StockNews.com raised Barclays from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Barclays in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Barclays Stock Up 5.5 %

The company has a 50-day moving average of $12.08 and a two-hundred day moving average of $11.26. The company has a market capitalization of $48.72 billion, a PE ratio of 9.81, a P/E/G ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.98, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.39.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The financial services provider reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.02. Barclays had a return on equity of 5.94% and a net margin of 16.83%. The business had revenue of $7.98 billion for the quarter. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.43 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Barclays PLC will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Barclays Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 20th. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th were paid a dividend of $0.2684 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 16th. This is a positive change from Barclays’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.27. This represents a yield of 3.6%. Barclays’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.64%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Barclays

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BCS. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Barclays by 7.7% in the second quarter. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 11,767 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $126,000 after acquiring an additional 838 shares during the period. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Barclays by 32.4% in the 3rd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,624 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 1,132 shares during the period. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Barclays by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 61,623 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $582,000 after acquiring an additional 1,237 shares in the last quarter. AMG National Trust Bank grew its stake in Barclays by 0.4% in the second quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 333,744 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,574,000 after purchasing an additional 1,343 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ballentine Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Barclays by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 27,743 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $337,000 after buying an additional 1,453 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 3.39% of the company’s stock.

Barclays Company Profile

Barclays PLC provides various financial services in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The company operates through Barclays UK and Barclays International division segments. It offers financial services, such as retail banking, credit cards, wholesale banking, investment banking, wealth management, and investment management services.