Short Interest in Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) Expands By 91.3%

Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 23,190,000 shares, an increase of 91.3% from the February 28th total of 12,120,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 19,750,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.2 days. Currently, 0.7% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BCS has been the subject of several research reports. StockNews.com cut shares of Barclays from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. BNP Paribas upgraded Barclays from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Barclays Trading Down 2.9 %

BCS stock traded down $0.47 during trading on Friday, reaching $15.42. 14,271,066 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 14,832,257. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $15.29 and a 200-day moving average price of $13.72. Barclays has a 1 year low of $8.95 and a 1 year high of $16.34. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $55.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.38, a P/E/G ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 1.38.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.19 by $0.15. Barclays had a return on equity of 7.74% and a net margin of 20.81%. On average, research analysts predict that Barclays will post 2 earnings per share for the current year.

Barclays Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.2737 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This is a boost from Barclays’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.27. This represents a dividend yield of 2.7%. Barclays’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.89%.

Institutional Trading of Barclays

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BCS. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Barclays by 20.0% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 268,284 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,260,000 after acquiring an additional 44,760 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. acquired a new stake in Barclays in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $189,000. Cerity Partners LLC raised its position in Barclays by 101.3% in the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 174,418 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,119,000 after purchasing an additional 87,784 shares during the period. DRW Securities LLC acquired a new position in Barclays during the third quarter worth $173,000. Finally, FMR LLC boosted its position in shares of Barclays by 11.6% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 6,432,007 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $78,149,000 after buying an additional 667,498 shares during the period. 3.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.