Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) Shares Sold by Bard Financial Services Inc.

Bard Financial Services Inc. decreased its position in Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) by 27.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,854,805 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 717,500 shares during the quarter. Lloyds Banking Group accounts for about 1.2% of Bard Financial Services Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. Bard Financial Services Inc.’s holdings in Lloyds Banking Group were worth $5,787,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Interchange Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Warren Street Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Intergy Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Lloyds Banking Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 2.15% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on LYG shares. Kepler Capital Markets assumed coverage on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded Lloyds Banking Group from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Friday. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, Citigroup cut shares of Lloyds Banking Group from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $2.75.

Lloyds Banking Group Stock Performance

Lloyds Banking Group stock traded up $0.10 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $3.09. 10,367,071 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 9,655,399. The stock has a market cap of $48.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.13 and a beta of 1.34. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $3.01 and its 200 day moving average is $2.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a current ratio of 1.45. Lloyds Banking Group plc has a 52-week low of $1.88 and a 52-week high of $3.18.

Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG) last released 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 company had revenue of $9.55 billion for the quarter. Analysts predict that Lloyds Banking Group plc will post 0.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lloyds Banking Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 20th. Shareholders 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 dividend yield of 4.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 5th. Lloyds Banking Group’s payout ratio is presently 26.32%.

Lloyds Banking Group Company 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.