XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS) Trading 11.1% Higher – Here’s What Happened

Shares of XPS Pensions Group plc (LON:XPS) rose 11.1% on Friday . The stock traded as high as GBX 397 ($5.00) and last traded at GBX 385.45 ($4.85). Approximately 3,388,795 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 125% from the average daily volume of 1,504,858 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 347 ($4.37).

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

XPS has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Shore Capital reissued a “hold” rating on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Canaccord Genuity Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 401 ($5.05) target price on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 435 ($5.48) target price on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, XPS Pensions Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of GBX 356.50 ($4.49).

XPS Pensions Group Stock Performance

The company’s 50-day simple moving average is GBX 343.54 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 331.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.52. The stock has a market cap of £795.95 million, a P/E ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.57.

XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 21st. The company reported GBX 9.40 ($0.12) EPS for the quarter. XPS Pensions Group had a net margin of 128.13% and a return on equity of 156.24%.

XPS Pensions Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 7th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 9th were given a dividend of GBX 3.70 ($0.05) per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.03%. XPS Pensions Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 8.03%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Alan Bannatyne purchased 13,033 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 349 ($4.39) per share, with a total value of £45,485.17 ($57,250.06). Insiders own 5.14% of the company’s stock.

XPS Pensions Group Company Profile

XPS Group is a leading UK consulting and administration business specialising in the pensions and insurance sectors. A FTSE 250 company, XPS combines expertise and insight with advanced technology and analytics to address the needs of over 1,400 pension schemes and their sponsoring employers on an ongoing and project basis.