Barclays (NYSE:BCS) Rating Lowered to Buy at StockNews.com

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Thursday.

Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Barclays in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company.

Barclays Stock Up 2.0 %

Shares of NYSE BCS opened at $14.28 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $51.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.67, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 1.35. Barclays has a 1 year low of $7.07 and a 1 year high of $14.29. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $13.31 and its 200 day moving average price is $12.42.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $8.52 billion for the quarter. Barclays had a return on equity of 6.30% and a net margin of 17.83%. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.42 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Barclays will post 1.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Barclays

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in shares of Barclays during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. acquired a new stake in Barclays during the third quarter worth about $42,000. Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new stake in Barclays during the fourth quarter worth about $44,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Barclays by 32.4% in the 3rd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,624 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 1,132 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Barclays by 42.6% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 9,280 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $113,000 after purchasing an additional 2,774 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 3.39% of the company’s stock.

About Barclays

Barclays PLC provides various financial services in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The company operates through Barclays UK and Barclays International division segments. It offers financial services, such as retail banking, credit cards, wholesale banking, investment banking, wealth management, and investment management services.