XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS) Trading Up 11.1% - Still a Buy?

XPS Pensions Group plc (LON:XPS - Get Free Report)'s share price shot up 11.1% during trading on Saturday . The stock traded as high as GBX 397 ($5.01) and last traded at GBX 385.45 ($4.86). 3,388,795 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 125% from the average session volume of 1,504,858 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 347 ($4.38).

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on XPS shares. Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a GBX 401 ($5.06) price target on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 435 ($5.49) target price on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Shore Capital reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, XPS Pensions Group presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of GBX 356.50 ($4.50).

XPS Pensions Group Stock Performance

The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 345.50 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 332.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.52. The company has a market capitalization of £838.38 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 0.57.

XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 21st. The company reported GBX 9.40 ($0.12) EPS for the quarter. XPS Pensions Group had a return on equity of 156.24% and a net margin of 128.13%.

XPS Pensions Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 7th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 9th were paid a GBX 3.70 ($0.05) dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 9th. XPS Pensions Group's payout ratio is presently 8.03%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Alan Bannatyne acquired 13,033 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 349 ($4.40) per share, with a total value of £45,485.17 ($57,380.06). 5.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

XPS Pensions Group Company Profile

XPS Group is a leading UK consulting and administration business specialising in the pensions and insurance sectors. A FTSE 250 company, XPS combines expertise and insight with advanced technology and analytics to address the needs of over 1,400 pension schemes and their sponsoring employers on an ongoing and project basis.