Analysts Set Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) PT at $2.75

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG - Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the eleven ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, four have assigned a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company.

LYG has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley raised Lloyds Banking Group from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded shares of Lloyds Banking Group from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Hsbc Global Res upgraded Lloyds Banking Group to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, March 20th. Finally, HSBC upgraded Lloyds Banking Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 1st.

Lloyds Banking Group Stock Performance

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group stock traded up $0.02 on Wednesday, hitting $3.96. 14,868,144 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 16,050,821. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $3.68 and a 200 day simple moving average of $3.15. Lloyds Banking Group has a 52 week low of $2.55 and a 52 week high of $4.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $59.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.98 and a beta of 0.95.

Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The financial services provider reported $0.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.08 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $9.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.76 billion. Lloyds Banking Group had a return on equity of 8.46% and a net margin of 11.45%. Research analysts expect that Lloyds Banking Group will post 0.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Lloyds Banking Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 11th will be given a $0.1035 dividend. This is a boost from Lloyds Banking Group's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.05. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 11th. This represents a dividend yield of 4%. Lloyds Banking Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 60.61%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lloyds Banking Group

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Crux Wealth Advisors acquired a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Brentview Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Focus Partners Wealth acquired a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Lloyds Banking Group in the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 2.15% of the company's stock.

About Lloyds Banking Group

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.