HSBC (NYSE:HSBC) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume - Here's What Happened

HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC - Get Free Report) saw an uptick in trading volume on Wednesday . 4,389,847 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 157% from the previous session's volume of 1,707,540 shares.The stock last traded at $58.15 and had previously closed at $57.77.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on HSBC. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating on shares of HSBC in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of HSBC from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd.

HSBC Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $52.22 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $47.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $214.49 billion, a PE ratio of 9.66, a P/E/G ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.54.

HSBC (NYSE:HSBC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The financial services provider reported $1.45 earnings per share (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 business had revenue of $11.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.79 billion. Sell-side analysts forecast that HSBC Holdings plc will post 6.66 earnings per share for the current year.

HSBC Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Investors of record on Friday, March 7th will be issued a $1.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 7th. This represents a $7.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 12.02%. HSBC's payout ratio is 115.81%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HSBC. Berbice Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of HSBC during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its position in HSBC by 58.2% in the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 571 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. CoreCap Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of HSBC by 342.9% in the fourth quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 589 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 456 shares during the period. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of HSBC in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of HSBC by 138.5% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 775 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 450 shares during the period. 1.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.