XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS) Stock Price Up 11.1% – Still a Buy?

XPS Pensions Group plc (LON:XPS) shot up 11.1% on Saturday . The company traded as high as GBX 397 ($4.99) and last traded at GBX 385.45 ($4.85). 3,388,795 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 125% from the average session volume of 1,504,858 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 347 ($4.37).

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on XPS. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a GBX 435 ($5.47) price objective on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a GBX 401 ($5.04) price objective on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Shore Capital reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of GBX 356.50 ($4.48).

XPS Pensions Group Stock Up 11.1 %

The firm has a market capitalization of £795.95 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.57. 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 firm has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 343.54 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 331.31.

XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS) last announced its earnings results 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 announced a dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 7th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 9th were issued 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 currently 8.03%.

Insider Transactions at XPS Pensions Group

In other news, insider Alan Bannatyne acquired 13,033 shares of XPS Pensions Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 349 ($4.39) per share, with a total value of £45,485.17 ($57,221.25). 5.14% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About XPS Pensions Group

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.