Barclays (NYSE:BCS) Hits New 12-Month High Following Strong Earnings

Shares of Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $15.47 and last traded at $15.39, with a volume of 204018 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $14.88.

The financial services provider reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.19 by $0.15. Barclays had a net margin of 17.83% and a return on equity of 6.30%.

Barclays Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 4th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a $0.2737 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This is a boost from Barclays’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.27. This represents a yield of 2.7%. Barclays’s dividend payout ratio is currently 20.41%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Barclays from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 16th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Barclays

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Barclays by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. now owns 183,981 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,445,000 after acquiring an additional 3,766 shares during the last quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Barclays by 13.1% during the fourth quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC now owns 21,660 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $288,000 after purchasing an additional 2,506 shares in the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP boosted its position in shares of Barclays by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 390,237 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $5,186,000 after buying an additional 27,851 shares during the period. Nomura Holdings Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Barclays in the fourth quarter valued at $664,000. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth raised its holdings in shares of Barclays by 56.9% in the 4th quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 345,089 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $4,590,000 after buying an additional 125,131 shares during the period. 3.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Barclays Trading Up 5.0 %

The company has a 50 day moving average of $13.95 and a 200-day moving average of $12.92. The stock has a market cap of $56.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.67, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 1.35.

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.