Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) Stock Rated “Moderate Buy” by Sell-Side Brokerages

Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $26.00.

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on BCS shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Barclays in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Barclays in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Barclays in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Deutsche Bank reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Barclays in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley downgraded Barclays from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd.

Barclays Price Performance

Shares of BCS opened at $23.16 on Thursday. Barclays has a 12-month low of $19.83 and a 12-month high of $28.68. The business’s fifty day moving average is $23.91 and its 200 day moving average is $24.77. The company has a quick ratio of 1.47, a current ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.89. The stock has a market cap of $77.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.33, a P/E/G ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 1.04.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 21st. The financial services provider reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by ($0.01). Barclays had a net margin of 22.74% and a return on equity of 9.02%. The company had revenue of $9.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.10 billion. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Barclays will post 2.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Barclays

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Renaissance Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Barclays in the first quarter valued at $81,762,000. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Barclays in the first quarter valued at $24,704,000. NINE MASTS CAPITAL Ltd bought a new position in Barclays during the second quarter valued at approximately $13,268,000. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Barclays in the third quarter worth $10,385,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in Barclays during the second quarter valued at about $9,888,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 3.39% of the company’s stock.

Barclays Company Profile

Barclays is a British banking group that provides financial services to individuals, businesses, corporations and institutions. Its principal activities include retail and business banking, credit cards and payments, corporate banking, investment banking and wealth management. The company serves customers in the United Kingdom and internationally, with a significant presence in the United States. Its businesses include Barclays UK, which focuses on UK consumer and business banking, and Barclays International, which includes its international banking and markets operations.