HSBC (NYSE:HSBC) Lowered to Sell Rating by StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of HSBC (NYSE:HSBC - Free Report) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report report published on Monday morning.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Royal Bank of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating on shares of HSBC in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered HSBC from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold".

HSBC Price Performance

Shares of HSBC traded up $1.13 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $61.56. The stock had a trading volume of 3,605,392 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,620,151. The stock has a market capitalization of $219.61 billion, a PE ratio of 9.93, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.51. HSBC has a 12 month low of $36.93 and a 12 month high of $61.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 0.88. The company's 50-day moving average is $52.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $48.00.

HSBC (NYSE:HSBC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The financial services provider reported $1.45 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.04. HSBC had a return on equity of 12.20% and a net margin of 16.17%. The firm had revenue of $11.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.79 billion. Research analysts expect that HSBC will post 6.66 EPS for the current year.

HSBC Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be paid a $1.80 dividend. This represents a $7.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 11.70%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 7th. HSBC's dividend payout ratio is currently 115.81%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HSBC

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Northern Trust Corp raised its position in shares of HSBC by 52.0% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 2,781,307 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $137,563,000 after acquiring an additional 951,050 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC grew its stake in HSBC by 44.3% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,442,205 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $110,363,000 after purchasing an additional 749,759 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in HSBC in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $17,815,000. Contrarian Capital Management L.L.C. bought a new position in shares of HSBC during the 4th quarter worth approximately $11,914,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of HSBC by 135.6% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 347,565 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $17,191,000 after buying an additional 200,054 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 1.48% of the company's stock.

About HSBC

HSBC Holdings plc provides banking and financial services worldwide. The company operates through Wealth and Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Global Banking and Markets segments. The Wealth and Personal Banking segment offers retail banking and wealth products, including current and savings accounts, mortgages and personal loans, credit and debit cards, and local and international payment services; and wealth management services comprising insurance and investment products, global asset management services, investment management, and private wealth solutions.