Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. Reduces Stake in Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS)

Key Points

• Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. has reduced its stake in Barclays PLC by 7.8%, selling 69,657 shares, and now owns 827,915 shares valued at approximately $12.7 million.
• Barclays reported earnings of $0.62 per share for the last quarter, exceeding analyst expectations, with revenues of $9.58 billion outpacing forecasts significantly.
• The company recently announced a semi-annual dividend of $0.1557 per share, reflecting a dividend yield of 210.0% and a dividend payout ratio of 14.29%.

Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. decreased its stake in shares of Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) by 7.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 827,915 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 69,657 shares during the period. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc.'s holdings in Barclays were worth $12,717,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Ballentine Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Barclays by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 31,547 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $485,000 after purchasing an additional 668 shares in the last quarter. D Orazio & Associates Inc. raised its position in shares of Barclays by 2.1% in the first quarter. D Orazio & Associates Inc. now owns 36,873 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $566,000 after buying an additional 759 shares in the last quarter. Covenant Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Barclays by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Covenant Partners LLC now owns 102,166 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,358,000 after buying an additional 772 shares in the last quarter. Forum Financial Management LP raised its position in shares of Barclays by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 48,199 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $641,000 after buying an additional 874 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Barclays by 3.0% in the first quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 31,540 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $484,000 after buying an additional 909 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 3.39% of the company's stock.

Barclays Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:BCS opened at $20.44 on Thursday. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $18.68 and its 200-day moving average price is $16.70. Barclays PLC has a 12-month low of $11.22 and a 12-month high of $20.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $72.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.70.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.50 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $9.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.06 billion. Barclays had a return on equity of 8.49% and a net margin of 22.11%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Barclays PLC will post 2 earnings per share for the current year.

Barclays Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th will be paid a $0.1557 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 8th. This represents a dividend yield of 210.0%. Barclays's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.29%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup downgraded Barclays from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, July 18th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Barclays in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Barclays in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Barclays from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, July 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

Barclays 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.

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