Integrated Quantitative Investments LLC Purchases Shares of 155,300 Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG)

Integrated Quantitative Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 155,300 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $422,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of LYG. Brentview Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Lloyds Banking Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group in the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Jackson Thornton Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Simon Quick Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. 2.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lloyds Banking Group Stock Performance

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group stock opened at $3.39 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $3.49 and its two-hundred day moving average is $3.08. Lloyds Banking Group plc has a 1 year low of $2.42 and a 1 year high of $3.91. The company has a market capitalization of $51.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.26 and a beta of 1.25.

Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The financial services provider reported $0.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.08 by ($0.03). Lloyds Banking Group had a return on equity of 8.46% and a net margin of 11.45%. The company had revenue of $9.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.76 billion. As a group, equities analysts expect that Lloyds Banking Group plc will post 0.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Lloyds Banking Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 30th. Investors of record on Friday, April 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.1035 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 11th. This is an increase from Lloyds Banking Group’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.05. This represents a dividend yield of 4%. Lloyds Banking Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 60.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on LYG shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded Lloyds Banking Group from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Hsbc Global Res upgraded shares of Lloyds Banking Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, March 20th. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Lloyds Banking Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Finally, HSBC upgraded shares of Lloyds Banking Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $2.75.

Lloyds Banking Group Profile

Lloyds Banking Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of banking and financial services in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates in three segments: Retail; Commercial Banking; and Insurance, Pensions and Investments. The Retail segment offers a range of financial service products, including current accounts, savings, mortgages, motor finance, unsecured loans, leasing solutions, and credit cards to personal customers.