HighTower Advisors LLC Buys 261,129 Shares of Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG)

HighTower Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG - Free Report) by 40.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 905,701 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 261,129 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC's holdings in Lloyds Banking Group were worth $2,824,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in LYG. CWM LLC grew its stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 37.9% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 71,039 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $194,000 after acquiring an additional 19,525 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC increased its stake in Lloyds Banking Group by 37.4% during the 2nd quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 92,921 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $254,000 after purchasing an additional 25,280 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 7.3% in the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 61,586 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $168,000 after buying an additional 4,194 shares during the last quarter. Wedmont Private Capital lifted its stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 28.0% in the second quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 24,394 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $74,000 after buying an additional 5,336 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 47.3% during the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 289,916 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $791,000 after buying an additional 93,041 shares during the last quarter. 2.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Lloyds Banking Group Stock Performance

LYG stock traded up $0.02 during trading on Friday, reaching $2.79. The stock had a trading volume of 6,446,427 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,647,101. The stock's 50 day moving average is $2.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $2.92. The firm has a market cap of $42.59 billion, a PE ratio of 7.08 and a beta of 1.32. Lloyds Banking Group plc has a 52 week low of $2.00 and a 52 week high of $3.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on LYG shares. Kepler Capital Markets initiated coverage on Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. They issued a "hold" rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Friday, October 4th. They set a "neutral" rating on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered Lloyds Banking Group from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Lloyds Banking Group currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $2.75.

About Lloyds Banking Group

Lloyds Banking Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of banking and financial services in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates in three segments: Retail; Commercial Banking; and Insurance, Pensions and Investments. The Retail segment offers a range of financial service products, including current accounts, savings, mortgages, motor finance, unsecured loans, leasing solutions, and credit cards to personal customers.