Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) Short Interest Up 22.5% in January

Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG - Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 10,280,000 shares, a growth of 22.5% from the January 15th total of 8,390,000 shares. Approximately 0.1% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 12,150,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.8 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Lloyds Banking Group from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Lloyds Banking Group currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $2.75.

Lloyds Banking Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:LYG traded down $0.05 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $3.15. 10,609,302 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 14,980,839. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $2.88 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $2.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.77 billion, a PE ratio of 8.06 and a beta of 1.31. Lloyds Banking Group has a 12 month low of $2.13 and a 12 month high of $3.24.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lloyds Banking Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Continuum Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 95,882 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $261,000 after purchasing an additional 4,585 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 225.0% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 7,098,940 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $19,309,000 after acquiring an additional 4,914,680 shares during the last quarter. Logan Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Logan Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,078,041 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,932,000 after buying an additional 18,584 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth acquired a new stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $177,000. 2.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.