Scotia Capital Inc. Buys New Holdings in Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS)

Key Points

• Scotia Capital Inc. made a significant investment of $1.63 million in Barclays PLC by purchasing 106,186 shares during the first quarter.
• Barclays reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.62 for the last quarter, surpassing analysts' estimates of $0.50.
• The company announced a semi-annual dividend of $0.1557 per share, which will be paid on September 16th, reflecting a dividend yield of 210.0%.

Scotia Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 106,186 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,631,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in Barclays by 485.0% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,680,869 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $88,789,000 after purchasing an additional 5,538,912 shares in the last quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC grew its position in Barclays by 78.7% during the 1st quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 8,892,766 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $136,593,000 after acquiring an additional 3,917,785 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in Barclays in the 4th quarter worth about $50,189,000. Bank of Montreal Can raised its position in Barclays by 667.4% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 3,603,127 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $47,886,000 after purchasing an additional 3,133,632 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its stake in shares of Barclays by 423.9% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,897,984 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $38,514,000 after purchasing an additional 2,344,858 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 3.39% of the company's stock.

Barclays Trading Up 0.8%

Barclays stock traded up $0.17 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $19.73. 17,711,643 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 19,127,392. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $18.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $16.55. Barclays PLC has a twelve month low of $10.91 and a twelve month high of $20.07. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $69.66 billion, a PE ratio of 9.09, a PEG ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.15.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.12. Barclays had a return on equity of 8.49% and a net margin of 22.11%. The business had revenue of $9.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.06 billion. Research analysts predict that Barclays PLC will post 2 earnings per share for the current year.

Barclays Cuts Dividend

The business 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 dividend of $0.1557 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 8th. This represents a yield of 210.0%. Barclays's dividend payout ratio is currently 25.35%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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