Barclays (LON:BARC) Reaches New 12-Month High - What's Next?

Key Points

• Barclays PLC reached a new 52-week high of GBX 388.65 ($5.27), currently trading at GBX 384.25 ($5.21) with significant trading volume.
• Analysts have mixed predictions for Barclays, with five giving it a "Buy" rating and a consensus target price of GBX 424.33 following various upgrades and downgrades.
• The company reported a net margin of 19.54% with a quarterly earnings per share of GBX 11.70, and insiders have recently sold and purchased company shares, indicating active interest from management.

Barclays PLC (LON:BARC - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as GBX 388.65 ($5.25) and last traded at GBX 384.25 ($5.19), with a volume of 502693813 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 384.55 ($5.20).

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BARC has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Barclays from GBX 355 to GBX 435 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. Shore Capital lifted their price objective on shares of Barclays from GBX 395 to GBX 410 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Barclays from GBX 405 to GBX 455 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Barclays from GBX 420 to GBX 500 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 9th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 380 price target on shares of Barclays in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of GBX 424.33.

Barclays Stock Up 0.4%

The stock has a market cap of £53.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 946.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.36. The firm's 50-day moving average is GBX 367.29 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 327.68.

Barclays (LON:BARC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported GBX 11.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Barclays had a net margin of 19.54% and a return on equity of 6.97%. 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 Marc Moses purchased 2,074 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 30th. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 371 per share, for a total transaction of £7,694.54. Also, insider Robert Berry purchased 2,485 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 30th. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 371 per share, for a total transaction of £9,219.35. Insiders have purchased a total of 26,377 shares of company stock worth $9,785,867 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.27% 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.