Barclays (LON:BARC) Sets New 12-Month High - Here's Why

Key Points

• Barclays PLC shares reached a new 52-week high of GBX 377.90 ($5.11) during mid-day trading, demonstrating a significant increase in investor interest!
• Analysts have issued revised price targets for Barclays, with Royal Bank of Canada increasing their target to GBX 435 ($5.89) and a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from several firms.
• Company insiders have shown confidence by purchasing shares, with notable transactions totaling approximately £90,947.48 ($123,051.66) for insider Anna Cross alone in recent weeks.

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 377.90 ($5.10) and last traded at GBX 376.65 ($5.09), with a volume of 192370297 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 374.90 ($5.06).

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BARC has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Citigroup lowered shares of Barclays to a "neutral" rating and raised their price objective for the stock from GBX 360 to GBX 366 in a report on Friday, July 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Barclays in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Barclays from GBX 355 to GBX 435 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating and set a GBX 380 target price on shares of Barclays in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, Shore Capital lifted their target price on shares of Barclays from GBX 395 to GBX 410 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of GBX 400.20.

Barclays Price Performance

The business's fifty day simple moving average is GBX 345.96 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 315.32. The company has a market cap of £53.43 billion, a PE ratio of 10.94, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.36.

Barclays (LON:BARC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported GBX 11.70 EPS for the quarter. Barclays had a net margin of 19.54% and a return on equity of 6.97%. As a group, analysts predict that Barclays PLC will post 39.1062802 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Barclays news, insider C.S. Venkatakrishnan acquired 44,562 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 20th. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 326 per share, with a total value of £145,272.12. Also, insider Mary Francis acquired 3,752 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 30th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 371 per share, with a total value of £13,919.92. Over the last 90 days, insiders have acquired 98,837 shares of company stock worth $33,407,827. Company insiders own 1.47% of the company's stock.

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.