XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS) Trading 11.1% Higher – Still a Buy?

XPS Pensions Group plc (LON:XPS) shares shot up 11.1% during mid-day trading on Saturday . The stock traded as high as GBX 397 ($5.00) and last traded at GBX 385.45 ($4.85). 3,388,795 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 125% from the average session volume of 1,504,858 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 347 ($4.37).

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

XPS has been the topic of several research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 435 ($5.48) price target on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a GBX 401 ($5.05) price objective on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Shore Capital reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of GBX 356.50 ($4.49).

XPS Pensions Group Stock Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average is GBX 343.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 331.16. The company has a market capitalization of £795.95 million, a P/E ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a quick ratio of 1.51, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.52.

XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 21st. The company reported GBX 9.40 ($0.12) earnings per share for the quarter. XPS Pensions Group had a return on equity of 156.24% and a net margin of 128.13%.

XPS Pensions Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 7th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 9th were paid a GBX 3.70 ($0.05) dividend. This represents a yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 9th. XPS Pensions Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 8.03%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Alan Bannatyne bought 13,033 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 349 ($4.39) per share, with a total value of £45,485.17 ($57,250.06). Insiders own 5.14% of the company’s stock.

About XPS Pensions Group

XPS Group is a leading UK consulting and administration business specialising in the pensions and insurance sectors. A FTSE 250 company, XPS combines expertise and insight with advanced technology and analytics to address the needs of over 1,400 pension schemes and their sponsoring employers on an ongoing and project basis.