Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. Purchases 390,374 Shares of Lloyds Banking Group PLC $LYG

Key Points

• Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. increased its stake in Lloyds Banking Group PLC by 85.6%, acquiring an additional 390,374 shares during the 1st quarter, bringing its total holdings to 846,594 shares valued at $3,234,000.
• Lloyds Banking Group reported an EPS of $0.14 for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations of $0.10, with revenues reaching $6.13 billion against estimates of $4.86 billion.
• Following a recent announcement, Lloyds Banking Group will pay a $0.0655 semi-annual dividend to shareholders, reflecting a yield of 370.0% and a dividend payout ratio (DPR) of 32.50%.

Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. increased its stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group PLC (NYSE:LYG - Free Report) by 85.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 846,594 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 390,374 shares during the quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc.'s holdings in Lloyds Banking Group were worth $3,234,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of LYG. Focus Partners Wealth acquired a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Advisor Resource Council acquired a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group during the 1st quarter valued at $37,000. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group during the 1st quarter valued at $38,000. SYM FINANCIAL Corp acquired a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group during the 1st quarter valued at $40,000. Finally, Rainey & Randall Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group during the 1st quarter valued at $41,000. Institutional investors own 2.15% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on LYG shares. Wall Street Zen raised Lloyds Banking Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 26th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised Lloyds Banking Group from a "hold" rating to a "moderate buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 17th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Monday, August 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Lloyds Banking Group from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Lloyds Banking Group from an "underweight" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, August 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

Lloyds Banking Group Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of LYG traded down $0.0150 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $4.5450. The stock had a trading volume of 4,395,957 shares, compared to its average volume of 22,956,242. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 1.44 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $4.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.05. Lloyds Banking Group PLC has a 1-year low of $2.56 and a 1-year high of $4.59.

Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.10 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $6.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.86 billion. Lloyds Banking Group had a return on equity of 9.28% and a net margin of 17.51%. Sell-side analysts predict that Lloyds Banking Group PLC will post 0.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lloyds Banking Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 4th will be issued a $0.0655 dividend. This represents a yield of 370.0%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 4th. Lloyds Banking Group's dividend payout ratio is 32.50%.

Lloyds Banking Group 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.