Barclays (NYSE:BCS) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at StockNews.com

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Thursday.

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

Barclays Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BCS opened at $13.08 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $47.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.90 and a beta of 1.41. Barclays has a twelve month low of $7.07 and a twelve month high of $13.83. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $13.08 and a two-hundred day moving average of $12.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.67.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Barclays

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BCS. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Barclays by 7.7% during the 2nd quarter. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 11,767 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $126,000 after buying an additional 838 shares in the last quarter. M&T Bank Corp grew its holdings in Barclays by 4.7% during the third quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 20,568 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $250,000 after acquiring an additional 918 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Barclays by 10.0% in the third quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,826 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $144,000 after acquiring an additional 1,075 shares in the last quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Barclays by 32.4% in the third quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,624 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 1,132 shares during the period. Finally, OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd boosted its position in shares of Barclays by 6.9% during the 3rd quarter. OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd now owns 17,565 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $213,000 after purchasing an additional 1,137 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 3.39% of the company’s stock.

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.