Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the ten analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $2.75.

Several analysts have weighed in on LYG shares. Morgan Stanley cut shares of Lloyds Banking Group from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Lloyds Banking Group in a research note on Friday, October 4th. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Citigroup downgraded Lloyds Banking Group from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Royal Bank of Canada cut Lloyds Banking Group from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of LYG. Lazari Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 19.8% during the 3rd quarter. Lazari Capital Management Inc. now owns 20,391 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 3,371 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 6.1% during the third quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 65,320 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $204,000 after buying an additional 3,734 shares in the last quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC now owns 135,436 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $370,000 after acquiring an additional 3,752 shares during the last quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 30.8% during the 3rd quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC now owns 16,851 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 3,969 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AMG National Trust Bank grew its position in Lloyds Banking Group by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 1,001,075 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,733,000 after acquiring an additional 3,976 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 2.15% of the company’s stock.

Lloyds Banking Group Stock Up 2.7 %

LYG opened at $2.84 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $3.01 and a 200-day moving average of $2.91. The company has a market capitalization of $43.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.27 and a beta of 1.35. Lloyds Banking Group has a fifty-two week low of $2.00 and a fifty-two week high of $3.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a current ratio of 1.45.

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.