Barclays (NYSE:BCS) Upgraded by StockNews.com to Strong-Buy Rating

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Barclays (NYSE:BCS) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note released on Thursday.

BCS has been the topic of several other research reports. Kepler Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Barclays in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Barclays in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock.

Barclays Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:BCS traded up $0.19 on Thursday, hitting $13.15. The company had a trading volume of 8,433,616 shares, compared to its average volume of 14,407,189. The stock has a market cap of $47.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.96 and a beta of 1.41. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $12.38 and a 200 day moving average price of $11.63. Barclays has a 1-year low of $6.91 and a 1-year high of $13.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.67.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $8.52 billion during the quarter. Barclays had a net margin of 17.83% and a return on equity of 6.30%. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.42 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Barclays will post 1.71 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Barclays

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BCS. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Barclays by 7.7% during the second quarter. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 11,767 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $126,000 after buying an additional 838 shares in the last quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Barclays by 10.0% in the 3rd quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,826 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $144,000 after purchasing an additional 1,075 shares in the last quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC raised its position in Barclays by 32.4% in the third quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,624 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 1,132 shares during the last quarter. OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd raised its position in Barclays by 6.9% in the third quarter. OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd now owns 17,565 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $213,000 after purchasing an additional 1,137 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AMG National Trust Bank grew its holdings in shares of Barclays by 0.4% during the second quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 333,744 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,574,000 after purchasing an additional 1,343 shares during the last quarter. 3.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.