HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC) Shares Sold by Lazard Asset Management LLC

Lazard Asset Management LLC reduced its holdings in HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC - Free Report) by 22.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 25,819 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 7,351 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC's holdings in HSBC were worth $1,276,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Berbice Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of HSBC during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in HSBC by 58.2% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 571 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. CoreCap Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of HSBC by 342.9% in the 4th quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 589 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 456 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of HSBC during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in shares of HSBC during the 4th quarter worth $49,000. 1.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of HSBC in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut HSBC from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating on shares of HSBC in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of HSBC from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Barclays raised shares of HSBC from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy".

HSBC Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE HSBC traded up $0.06 on Thursday, hitting $59.40. The company had a trading volume of 999,605 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,730,758. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. HSBC Holdings plc has a 12-month low of $39.42 and a 12-month high of $61.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $209.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.58, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.53. The business has a 50 day moving average of $55.33 and a two-hundred day moving average of $52.42.

HSBC (NYSE:HSBC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.95 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.60 by $0.35. The firm had revenue of $17.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.60 billion. HSBC had a return on equity of 12.20% and a net margin of 16.17%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that HSBC Holdings plc will post 6.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

HSBC Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 12th will be given a $0.495 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 9th. This represents a yield of 3.5%. HSBC's payout ratio is currently 36.33%.

About HSBC

HSBC Holdings plc provides banking and financial services worldwide. The company operates through Wealth and Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Global Banking and Markets segments. The Wealth and Personal Banking segment offers retail banking and wealth products, including current and savings accounts, mortgages and personal loans, credit and debit cards, and local and international payment services; and wealth management services comprising insurance and investment products, global asset management services, investment management, and private wealth solutions.