HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Shares of HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the five ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, one has given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company.

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of HSBC from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Barclays raised shares of HSBC from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of HSBC in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of HSBC from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating on shares of HSBC in a report on Monday, February 3rd.

HSBC Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NYSE HSBC traded up $0.46 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $59.16. 274,821 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,426,790. The company has a market cap of $209.11 billion, a PE ratio of 9.54, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.53. HSBC has a 12 month low of $39.42 and a 12 month high of $61.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $55.43 and a 200-day moving average price of $52.85.

HSBC (NYSE:HSBC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.95 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.60 by $0.35. The company had revenue of $17.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.60 billion. HSBC had a net margin of 16.17% and a return on equity of 12.20%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that HSBC will post 6.66 EPS for the current year.

HSBC Announces Dividend

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HSBC

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Contrarian Capital Management L.L.C. lifted its stake in shares of HSBC by 425.4% in the first quarter. Contrarian Capital Management L.L.C. now owns 1,265,656 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $72,687,000 after buying an additional 1,024,780 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in shares of HSBC by 52.0% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 2,781,307 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $137,563,000 after buying an additional 951,050 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of HSBC by 7,061.5% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 559,311 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $321,210,000 after buying an additional 551,501 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC lifted its stake in shares of HSBC by 18.1% in the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,883,238 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $142,605,000 after buying an additional 441,033 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of HSBC in the fourth quarter worth about $17,815,000. 1.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

HSBC Company Profile

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.