Zacks Research Upgrades KB Financial Group (NYSE:KB) to Strong-Buy

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded KB Financial Group to “strong buy” from “hold,” while other analysts largely maintained “buy” ratings. MarketBeat data shows an average consensus rating of “Buy.”
• KB shares opened at $112.31, with a 52-week range of $76.31 to $125.62 and a market capitalization of approximately $39.84 billion.
• The bank reported quarterly EPS of $2.16 on $3.49 billion in revenue, with a 17.36% net margin and 9.99% return on equity; analysts expect full-year EPS of $12.91.

KB Financial Group (NYSE:KB - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on KB. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of KB Financial Group in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded KB Financial Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of KB Financial Group in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have given a Buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy".

KB Financial Group Stock Performance

Shares of KB opened at $112.31 on Tuesday. KB Financial Group has a 1 year low of $76.31 and a 1 year high of $125.62. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $109.59 and its 200 day simple moving average is $105.58. The company has a market capitalization of $39.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.08, a PEG ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.47, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 1.64.

KB Financial Group (NYSE:KB - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The bank reported $2.16 EPS for the quarter. KB Financial Group had a net margin of 17.36% and a return on equity of 9.99%. The firm had revenue of $3.49 billion during the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts predict that KB Financial Group will post 12.91 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KB. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its stake in KB Financial Group by 131.6% during the fourth quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 403 shares of the bank's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 229 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of KB Financial Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new stake in shares of KB Financial Group during the 4th quarter worth about $43,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in KB Financial Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc grew its stake in KB Financial Group by 29.3% during the first quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 477 shares of the bank's stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 11.52% of the company's stock.

About KB Financial Group

KB Financial Group Inc is a South Korea-based financial holding company that offers a broad range of banking and financial services. Headquartered in Seoul and listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker KB, the group operates through a set of specialized subsidiaries to provide integrated financial solutions for retail, corporate and institutional clients.

The company's principal businesses include retail and corporate banking, securities and investment banking, insurance (life and non-life), asset management, credit card and consumer finance, and leasing.

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