Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) Shares Sold by BNP Paribas Financial Markets

BNP Paribas Financial Markets lowered its position in Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG - Free Report) by 52.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 157,614 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 174,036 shares during the quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets' holdings in Lloyds Banking Group were worth $429,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Crux Wealth Advisors purchased a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Brentview Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Lloyds Banking Group in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Jackson Thornton Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 2.15% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LYG has been the topic of several research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Lloyds Banking Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered Lloyds Banking Group from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Hsbc Global Res raised shares of Lloyds Banking Group to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. HSBC raised shares of Lloyds Banking Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded Lloyds Banking Group from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lloyds Banking Group presently has an average rating of "Hold".

Lloyds Banking Group Trading Up 0.4%

Lloyds Banking Group stock traded up $0.02 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $4.23. The company had a trading volume of 1,296,427 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,851,784. The company's fifty day moving average is $3.85 and its 200-day moving average is $3.32. Lloyds Banking Group plc has a 12-month low of $2.56 and a 12-month high of $4.30. The company has a market capitalization of $63.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.80 and a beta of 0.97.

Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The financial services provider reported $0.11 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.08 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $5.91 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.78 billion. Lloyds Banking Group had a return on equity of 8.46% and a net margin of 11.45%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Lloyds Banking Group plc will post 0.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lloyds Banking Group Company Profile

Lloyds Banking Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of banking and financial services in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates in three segments: Retail; Commercial Banking; and Insurance, Pensions and Investments. The Retail segment offers a range of financial service products, including current accounts, savings, mortgages, motor finance, unsecured loans, leasing solutions, and credit cards to personal customers.