Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the ten analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $2.75.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on LYG. Kepler Capital Markets began coverage on Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Thursday, September 5th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. BNP Paribas upgraded Lloyds Banking Group from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 5th. Citigroup downgraded Lloyds Banking Group from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Friday, October 4th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company.

Lloyds Banking Group Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE:LYG opened at $3.17 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $3.07 and a 200-day moving average of $2.88. The company has a market capitalization of $49.54 billion, a PE ratio of 8.34 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a current ratio of 1.45. Lloyds Banking Group has a 52-week low of $1.88 and a 52-week high of $3.22.

Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The financial services provider reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $9.55 billion during the quarter. Lloyds Banking Group had a net margin of 12.40% and a return on equity of 10.34%. On average, equities analysts predict that Lloyds Banking Group will post 0.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Lloyds Banking Group

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Clearbridge Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $36,252,000. First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 9.2% during the 1st quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 4,060,740 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $10,517,000 after acquiring an additional 343,753 shares during the period. CreativeOne Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 166.2% during the 1st quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC now owns 47,224 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $122,000 after purchasing an additional 29,486 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 37.9% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 71,039 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $194,000 after purchasing an additional 19,525 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aprio Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 71.5% during the 1st quarter. Aprio Wealth Management LLC now owns 47,613 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $123,000 after purchasing an additional 19,857 shares in the last quarter. 2.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.