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

XPS Pensions Group plc (LON:XPS)’s stock price was up 11.1% during trading on Saturday . The company traded as high as GBX 397 ($5.00) and last traded at GBX 385.45 ($4.85). Approximately 3,388,795 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 125% from the average daily volume of 1,504,858 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 347 ($4.37).

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on XPS shares. Shore Capital restated a “hold” rating on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a GBX 435 ($5.48) price objective on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a GBX 401 ($5.05) price objective on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research 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. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of GBX 356.50 ($4.49).

XPS Pensions Group Stock Up 11.1 %

The firm has a market cap of £795.95 million, a PE ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.57. The business has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 343.54 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 331.16. The company has a quick ratio of 1.51, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.52.

XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS) last posted 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. Investors of record on Thursday, January 9th were issued a GBX 3.70 ($0.05) dividend. This represents a yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 9th. XPS Pensions Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.03%.

Insider Activity at XPS Pensions Group

In other news, insider Alan Bannatyne acquired 13,033 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 349 ($4.39) per share, with a total value of £45,485.17 ($57,250.06). 5.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

XPS Pensions Group Company Profile

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.