Smartleaf Asset Management LLC Purchases 7,495 Shares of HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC)

Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC - Free Report) by 79.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 16,871 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 7,495 shares during the quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC's holdings in HSBC were worth $835,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Berbice Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of HSBC in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of HSBC by 58.2% during the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 571 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of HSBC during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in HSBC by 138.5% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 775 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 450 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in HSBC during the 4th quarter worth approximately $49,000. 1.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

HSBC Price Performance

Shares of HSBC traded up $1.15 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $61.58. 2,996,618 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,618,040. HSBC Holdings plc has a 52 week low of $36.93 and a 52 week high of $61.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 0.88. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $52.68 and a 200-day moving average of $48.00. The stock has a market cap of $219.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.93, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.51.

HSBC (NYSE:HSBC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The financial services provider reported $1.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $11.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $13.79 billion. HSBC had a return on equity of 12.20% and a net margin of 16.17%. On average, analysts forecast that HSBC Holdings plc will post 6.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HSBC Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be paid a $1.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 7th. This represents a $7.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 11.69%. HSBC's payout ratio is currently 115.81%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on HSBC shares. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating on shares of HSBC in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded HSBC from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com cut HSBC from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Barclays raised HSBC from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold".

HSBC Profile

HSBC Holdings plc provides banking and financial services worldwide. The company operates through Wealth and Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Global Banking and Markets segments. The Wealth and Personal Banking segment offers retail banking and wealth products, including current and savings accounts, mortgages and personal loans, credit and debit cards, and local and international payment services; and wealth management services comprising insurance and investment products, global asset management services, investment management, and private wealth solutions.