Barclays (NYSE:BCS) Reaches New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) shares reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $14.52 and last traded at $14.48, with a volume of 97612 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $14.26.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently issued reports on BCS shares. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Barclays in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of Barclays from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 16th.

Barclays Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.67. The firm has a market cap of $52.44 billion, a PE ratio of 9.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.41. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $13.35 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $12.48.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Barclays had a return on equity of 6.30% and a net margin of 17.83%. The company had revenue of $8.52 billion during the quarter. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.42 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Barclays PLC will post 1.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Barclays during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,208,000. Ballentine Partners LLC boosted its stake in Barclays by 11.3% during the 4th quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 30,879 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $410,000 after purchasing an additional 3,136 shares during the period. Diversify Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Barclays by 14.6% in the fourth quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 69,690 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $884,000 after purchasing an additional 8,877 shares during the period. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Barclays by 15.4% during the fourth quarter. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 30,880 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $410,000 after buying an additional 4,120 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HB Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Barclays in the 4th quarter valued at $138,000. 3.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Barclays

Barclays PLC provides various financial services in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The company operates through Barclays UK and Barclays International division segments. It offers financial services, such as retail banking, credit cards, wholesale banking, investment banking, wealth management, and investment management services.