Barclays (NYSE:BCS) Upgraded by StockNews.com to “Strong-Buy” Rating

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Barclays (NYSE:BCS) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report released on Thursday.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on BCS. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Barclays in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Kepler Capital Markets assumed coverage on shares of Barclays in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. They set a “buy” rating for the company.

Barclays Price Performance

BCS stock opened at $12.92 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $13.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $12.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.67, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.35. The stock has a market cap of $46.62 billion, a PE ratio of 8.79 and a beta of 1.41. Barclays has a one year low of $7.07 and a one year high of $13.83.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $8.52 billion during the quarter. Barclays had a return on equity of 6.30% and a net margin of 17.83%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.42 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Barclays will post 1.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Barclays

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BCS. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in Barclays in the second quarter valued at $235,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in Barclays by 452.5% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 6,304 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $68,000 after purchasing an additional 5,163 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its holdings in Barclays by 33.2% in the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 79,012 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $846,000 after purchasing an additional 19,686 shares during the period. AMG National Trust Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Barclays by 0.4% during the second quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 333,744 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,574,000 after purchasing an additional 1,343 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its stake in Barclays by 72.0% during the second quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 16,287 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $174,000 after buying an additional 6,818 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 3.39% of the company’s stock.

Barclays Company Profile

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.