B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. Takes Position in Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG)

B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 25,337 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $69,000.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Interchange Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Warren Street Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Intergy Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group during the second quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Susquehanna International Securities Ltd. acquired a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group during the first quarter valued at $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 2.15% of the company’s stock.

Lloyds Banking Group Price Performance

Lloyds Banking Group stock opened at $3.08 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. The stock has a market cap of $48.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.11 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $3.01 and a 200 day moving average price of $2.84. Lloyds Banking Group plc has a 12-month low of $1.88 and a 12-month high of $3.18.

Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The financial services provider reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Lloyds Banking Group had a net margin of 12.40% and a return on equity of 10.34%. The firm had revenue of $9.55 billion for the quarter. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Lloyds Banking Group plc will post 0.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Lloyds Banking Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 5th were paid a dividend of $0.0546 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 5th. This is a positive change from Lloyds Banking Group’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.05. This represents a yield of 4.4%. Lloyds Banking Group’s dividend payout ratio is 26.32%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on LYG shares. BNP Paribas raised shares of Lloyds Banking Group from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Friday, October 4th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. 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. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, Citigroup cut shares of Lloyds Banking Group from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lloyds Banking Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $2.75.

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.