Barclays (LON:BARC) Sets New 52-Week High - Should You Buy?

Shares of Barclays PLC (LON:BARC - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as GBX 342.85 ($4.66) and last traded at GBX 341.80 ($4.64), with a volume of 417874000 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 339.65 ($4.61).

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on BARC shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Barclays from GBX 370 ($5.03) to GBX 410 ($5.57) and gave the company a "top pick" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 25th. Shore Capital restated a "buy" rating on shares of Barclays in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th.

Barclays Stock Down 1.3%

The firm has a market cap of £48.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.36. The business has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 324.05 and a 200-day moving average price of GBX 299.26.

Barclays (LON:BARC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The financial services provider reported GBX 13 ($0.18) earnings per share for the quarter. Barclays had a return on equity of 6.97% and a net margin of 19.54%. Research analysts anticipate that Barclays PLC will post 39.1062802 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Barclays

In related news, insider C.S. Venkatakrishnan acquired 44,562 shares of Barclays stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 20th. The stock was acquired at an average price of GBX 326 ($4.43) per share, for a total transaction of £145,272.12 ($197,353.78). Also, insider Anna Cross acquired 27,898 shares of Barclays stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 20th. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 326 ($4.43) per share, with a total value of £90,947.48 ($123,553.16). 1.47% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.