Barclays (NYSE:BCS) Sets New 1-Year High - Still a Buy?

Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS)'s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $13.85 and last traded at $13.84, with a volume of 1563931 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $13.03.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on BCS. StockNews.com upgraded Barclays from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Barclays in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock.

Barclays Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $50.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.54 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.67. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $13.28 and a 200-day simple moving average of $12.40.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $8.52 billion for the quarter. Barclays had a return on equity of 6.30% and a net margin of 17.83%. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.42 EPS. Analysts forecast that Barclays PLC will post 1.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Barclays

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in Barclays in the third quarter valued at approximately $52,335,000. Natixis Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Barclays by 286.1% during the third quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 3,565,033 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $43,315,000 after purchasing an additional 2,641,608 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its holdings in Barclays by 190.9% in the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 3,661,086 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $39,210,000 after purchasing an additional 2,402,500 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. lifted its stake in Barclays by 118.7% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 2,709,312 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $29,017,000 after buying an additional 1,470,523 shares during the period. Finally, Duquesne Family Office LLC boosted its holdings in Barclays by 97.4% during the second quarter. Duquesne Family Office LLC now owns 2,075,455 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $22,228,000 after buying an additional 1,024,100 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 3.39% of the company's stock.

About Barclays

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.