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

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eight brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $49.38.

LYG has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Thursday, May 9th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Citigroup downgraded shares of Lloyds Banking Group from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. BNP Paribas raised shares of Lloyds Banking Group from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 5th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, Berenberg Bank started coverage on Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. They set a “hold” rating and a $2.75 price objective on the stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of LYG. Naples Money Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. TCG Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. purchased a new position in Lloyds Banking Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. D Orazio & Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. 2.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lloyds Banking Group Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group stock traded down $0.02 during trading on Friday, reaching $2.87. 7,080,302 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 9,404,979. Lloyds Banking Group has a 1 year low of $1.88 and a 1 year high of $3.13. The firm has a market cap of $44.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.55 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $2.88 and its 200 day moving average is $2.61.

Lloyds Banking Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Investors of record on Monday, August 5th will be paid a $0.0546 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 5th. This represents a dividend yield of 4.4%. This is an increase from Lloyds Banking Group’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.05. Lloyds Banking Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.32%.

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.