Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) Receives Average Rating of "Hold" from Analysts

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Hold" by the nine brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $2.75.

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. BNP Paribas raised Lloyds Banking Group from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, July 5th. Royal Bank of Canada cut Lloyds Banking Group from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Citigroup downgraded Lloyds Banking Group from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 5th. Kepler Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. They set a "hold" rating on the stock. Finally, UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th.

Lloyds Banking Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:LYG traded up $0.01 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $3.11. 12,123,730 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,443,799. Lloyds Banking Group has a 52 week low of $1.88 and a 52 week high of $3.14. The firm has a market cap of $48.61 billion, a PE ratio of 8.18 and a beta of 1.35. The company's 50 day moving average price is $3.00 and its 200-day moving average price is $2.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 1.45 and a quick ratio of 1.48.

Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The financial services provider reported $0.09 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $9.55 billion during the quarter. Lloyds Banking Group had a net margin of 12.40% and a return on equity of 10.34%. On average, equities analysts expect that Lloyds Banking Group will post 0.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lloyds Banking Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 20th. Investors of record on Monday, August 5th were issued a $0.0546 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 5th. This is a positive change from Lloyds Banking Group's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.05. This represents a dividend yield of 4.4%. Lloyds Banking Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.32%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lloyds Banking Group

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC now owns 135,436 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $370,000 after buying an additional 3,752 shares during the last quarter. AMG National Trust Bank increased its stake in Lloyds Banking Group by 0.4% during the second quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 1,001,075 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,733,000 after acquiring an additional 3,976 shares during the last quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC raised its position in Lloyds Banking Group by 6.9% during the first quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 61,412 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $159,000 after purchasing an additional 3,986 shares during the period. Brookstone Capital Management lifted its stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 12.1% in the 1st quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 38,516 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $100,000 after purchasing an additional 4,167 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 7.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 61,586 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $168,000 after purchasing an additional 4,194 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 2.15% of the company's stock.

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.