LendingClub Co. (NYSE:LC) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Shares of LendingClub Co. (NYSE:LC - Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the eight research firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $15.75.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of LendingClub from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on LendingClub from $17.00 to $14.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 10th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on LendingClub from $15.00 to $14.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 30th.

LendingClub Stock Up 4.5%

Shares of LC traded up $0.46 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $10.62. 851,000 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,612,545. The company has a market capitalization of $1.21 billion, a PE ratio of 23.59 and a beta of 2.35. The business has a 50 day moving average of $10.05 and a 200 day moving average of $12.94. LendingClub has a 1-year low of $7.81 and a 1-year high of $18.75.

LendingClub (NYSE:LC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The credit services provider reported $0.10 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.10. The company had revenue of $217.71 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $213.71 million. LendingClub had a net margin of 6.52% and a return on equity of 4.16%. LendingClub's quarterly revenue was up 21670.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.11 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that LendingClub will post 0.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at LendingClub

In other news, CEO Scott Sanborn sold 5,250 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.65, for a total transaction of $55,912.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,287,282 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,709,553.30. This represents a 0.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Michael P. Zeisser bought 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 30th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $9.35 per share, for a total transaction of $187,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 174,138 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,628,190.30. The trade was a 12.98% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 21,000 shares of company stock worth $215,198. Insiders own 3.19% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On LendingClub

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Invst LLC purchased a new stake in shares of LendingClub during the first quarter worth approximately $298,000. Strs Ohio acquired a new position in LendingClub in the 1st quarter valued at $554,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position in LendingClub by 3.9% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 300,658 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $3,103,000 after buying an additional 11,407 shares during the last quarter. Optimize Financial Inc raised its position in LendingClub by 6.4% during the 1st quarter. Optimize Financial Inc now owns 32,628 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $337,000 after buying an additional 1,956 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of LendingClub by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 852,005 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $8,793,000 after acquiring an additional 12,019 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.08% of the company's stock.

LendingClub Company Profile

LendingClub Corporation, operates as a bank holding company, that provides range of financial products and services in the United States. It offers deposit products, including savings accounts, checking accounts, and certificates of deposit. The company also provides loan products, such as consumer loans comprising unsecured personal loans, secured auto refinance loans, and patient and education finance loans; and commercial loans, including small business loans.