Freedom Investment Management Inc. Boosts Holdings in Barclays PLC $BCS

Key Points

• Freedom Investment Management Inc. increased its ownership in Barclays PLC by 177.5%, holding a total of 51,819 shares valued at approximately $796,000 as of the latest filing.
• Barclays recently reported a quarterly EPS of $0.62, surpassing expectations of $0.50, with revenues of $9.58 billion significantly exceeding analyst estimates.
• The company announced a semi-annual dividend of $0.1557 per share, with a dividend yield of 210.0%, and a payout ratio currently at 14.29%.

Freedom Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS - Free Report) by 177.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 51,819 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 33,146 shares during the quarter. Freedom Investment Management Inc.'s holdings in Barclays were worth $796,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BCS. Financial Management Professionals Inc. acquired a new stake in Barclays in the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Elequin Capital LP acquired a new stake in Barclays in the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Wealthquest Corp acquired a new stake in Barclays in the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new stake in Barclays in the first quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Wayfinding Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Barclays in the first quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 3.39% of the company's stock.

Barclays Stock Performance

NYSE:BCS traded down $0.08 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $20.06. The stock had a trading volume of 8,176,336 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,524,984. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $19.25 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $17.12. Barclays PLC has a 12-month low of $11.22 and a 12-month high of $20.58. The company has a quick ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.70. The stock has a market cap of $70.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.24, a P/E/G ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.15.

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

Barclays Cuts Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Barclays in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Citigroup cut shares of Barclays from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, July 18th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Barclays from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, July 13th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Barclays in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

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.