ING Groep (NYSE:ING) Receives Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

ING Groep (NYSE:ING - Get Free Report) has received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the six analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, one has issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company.

ING has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of ING Groep from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Cfra Research upgraded shares of ING Groep from a "moderate sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th.

ING Groep Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE ING traded up $0.09 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $21.15. 3,141,955 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,288,861. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $19.74 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $17.90. ING Groep has a twelve month low of $15.09 and a twelve month high of $21.76. The firm has a market cap of $74.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.89, a PEG ratio of 6.42 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.89.

ING Groep (NYSE:ING - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 2nd. The financial services provider reported $0.49 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.56 by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $6.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.74 billion. ING Groep had a return on equity of 11.81% and a net margin of 28.30%. As a group, analysts anticipate that ING Groep will post 2.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ING Groep Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 25th were paid a dividend of $0.6526 per share. This is a positive change from ING Groep's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.17. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 25th. This represents a yield of 5.1%. ING Groep's payout ratio is presently 64.45%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ING Groep

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ING. Legacy Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in ING Groep in the first quarter worth about $28,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of ING Groep by 135.3% in the 1st quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 1,586 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 912 shares during the period. Roxbury Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of ING Groep in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Redwood Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of ING Groep in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Olde Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in ING Groep during the first quarter worth approximately $55,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 4.49% of the company's stock.

About ING Groep

ING Groep N.V. provides various banking products and services in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, rest of Europe, and internationally. It operates through five segments: Retail Netherlands, Retail Belgium, Retail Germany, Retail Other, and Wholesale Banking. The company accepts current and savings accounts.