Barclays (NYSE:BCS) Sets New 1-Year High – Here’s Why

Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $16.83 and last traded at $16.72, with a volume of 35504 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $16.53.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on BCS shares. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Barclays from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. StockNews.com cut shares of Barclays from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th.

Barclays Stock Up 1.8%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.33, a current ratio of 1.29 and a quick ratio of 1.29. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $15.28 and a two-hundred day moving average of $14.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $60.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.24, a P/E/G ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 1.10.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The financial services provider reported $0.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.61 by $0.04. Barclays had a return on equity of 7.74% and a net margin of 20.81%. The company had revenue of $10.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.37 billion. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Barclays PLC will post 2 earnings per share for the current year.

Barclays Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th were paid a $0.2737 dividend. This is a boost from Barclays’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.27. This represents a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. Barclays’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.92%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Barclays

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in Barclays during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Financial Management Professionals Inc. acquired a new stake in Barclays in the first quarter worth about $29,000. Elequin Capital LP acquired a new stake in Barclays during the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Wealthquest Corp acquired a new stake in Barclays during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Activest Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Barclays during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.