Barclays (LON:BARC) Price Target Raised to GBX 450 at Citigroup

Barclays (LON:BARC) had its price target increased by research analysts at Citigroup from GBX 425 to GBX 450 in a research note issued on Thursday,Digital Look reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Citigroup’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 5.40% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on BARC. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Barclays from GBX 480 to GBX 570 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Barclays from GBX 500 to GBX 570 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of GBX 495.

Barclays Price Performance

LON:BARC traded down GBX 7.30 on Thursday, reaching GBX 426.95. The stock had a trading volume of 307,368,125 shares, compared to its average volume of 59,026,012. The company has a market cap of £58.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.86. The firm’s fifty day moving average is GBX 425.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 434.45. Barclays has a 12-month low of GBX 287.80 and a 12-month high of GBX 507.45.

Barclays (LON:BARC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The financial services provider reported GBX 24.70 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of GBX 1,489.60 billion during the quarter. Barclays had a net margin of 17.82% and a return on equity of 9.41%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Barclays will post 39.1062802 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Nigel Higgins bought 6,769 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of GBX 481 per share, for a total transaction of £32,558.89. Also, insider Robert Berry purchased 1,891 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 481 per share, with a total value of £9,095.71. In the last three months, insiders acquired 27,452 shares of company stock valued at $13,204,412. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Barclays News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Barclays this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays pushed a policy proposal that the UK could save about £2.5bn by helping banks buy gilts — a move the bank argues would stabilise secondary markets and could improve liquidity/funding conditions for banks if adopted. Regulatory pushback is noted, but the idea supports a constructive macro backdrop for UK banks’ balance sheets. UK could save £2.5bn by helping banks to buy gilts, says Barclays
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays’ research team has been active — revamping semiconductor coverage and issuing notable calls (big upgrades like Seagate and downgrades like Qualcomm). This highlights the strength and market influence of its equity research franchise (reputational benefit and potential trading/advisory revenue), but these moves are indirect drivers of Barclays’ own share price. Barclays revamps semiconductor coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Report that Barclays pulled out of a financing where Wells Fargo stepped in to lend to MFS. Market interpretation: either risk-managing exposure or losing business to competitors — both can hurt near-term fee income or signal tighter risk appetite. Wells Fargo lent to MFS as Barclays pulled out – report
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays cut mortgage rates by up to ~36 basis points — good for lending growth but likely negative for near-term net interest margin and profitability in the current rate environment. Investors may be marking down bank earnings power as a result. Barclays slashes mortgage rates

Barclays Company Profile

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. In addition, the company engages in securities dealing activities. The company was formerly known as Barclays Bank Limited and changed its name to Barclays PLC in January 1985.