Clearbridge Investments LLC Invests $36.25 Million in Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG)

Clearbridge Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 13,279,295 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $36,252,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC owned about 0.08% of Lloyds Banking Group at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in LYG. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC boosted its holdings in 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 period. AMG National Trust Bank grew its position in Lloyds Banking Group by 0.4% during the 2nd 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 increased its stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 6.9% in the first quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 61,412 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $159,000 after buying an additional 3,986 shares during the period. Brookstone Capital Management increased its position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 12.1% in the first quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 38,516 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $100,000 after acquiring an additional 4,167 shares during the period. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in Lloyds Banking Group by 7.3% during the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 61,586 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $168,000 after purchasing an additional 4,194 shares during the last quarter. 2.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on LYG shares. Citigroup lowered Lloyds Banking Group from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded shares of Lloyds Banking Group from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Lloyds Banking Group in a research note on Friday. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. They set a "hold" rating for the company. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $2.75.

Lloyds Banking Group Trading Up 3.3 %

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group stock traded up $0.10 on Friday, hitting $3.09. 10,366,940 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,655,399. Lloyds Banking Group plc has a 52 week low of $1.88 and a 52 week high of $3.18. The company has a market cap of $48.29 billion, a PE ratio of 8.13 and a beta of 1.34. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $3.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $2.83. The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 1.48 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 for the quarter. Equities research analysts predict that Lloyds Banking Group plc will post 0.32 EPS for the current 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 given a dividend of $0.0546 per share. This is a positive change from Lloyds Banking Group's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.05. This represents a yield of 4.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 5th. Lloyds Banking Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 26.32%.

Lloyds Banking Group Profile

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.