Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) Given Average Rating of "Hold" by Brokerages

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG - Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the ten brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $2.75.

Several research analysts have issued reports on LYG shares. Kepler Capital Markets started coverage on Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. They set a "hold" rating for the company. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered Lloyds Banking Group from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. BNP Paribas upgraded Lloyds Banking Group from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, July 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Friday, October 4th. They issued a "neutral" rating for the company.

Lloyds Banking Group Trading Up 1.3 %

Lloyds Banking Group stock traded up $0.04 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $3.20. The stock had a trading volume of 4,762,618 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,574,942. Lloyds Banking Group has a 52-week low of $1.88 and a 52-week high of $3.20. The company has a fifty day moving average of $3.05 and a 200 day moving average of $2.86. The firm has a market cap of $50.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.42 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a quick ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89.

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

Lloyds Banking Group Increases Dividend

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lloyds Banking Group

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of LYG. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in Lloyds Banking Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $327,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in Lloyds Banking Group by 5.6% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 22,166,362 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $52,978,000 after buying an additional 1,180,775 shares in the last quarter. SageView Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the fourth quarter worth $97,000. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the fourth quarter worth $113,000. Finally, CWM LLC increased its position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 133.4% during the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 51,514 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $133,000 after purchasing an additional 29,444 shares in the last quarter. 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.