Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 23,190,000 shares, an increase of 91.3% from the February 28th total of 12,120,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 19,750,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.2 days. Approximately 0.7% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently issued reports on BCS. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Barclays from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. StockNews.com cut shares of Barclays from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Barclays Stock Performance

Shares of BCS stock traded down $0.47 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $15.42. 14,271,066 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 14,832,257. Barclays has a fifty-two week low of $8.95 and a fifty-two week high of $16.34. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $55.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.38, a P/E/G ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 1.38. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $15.29 and a 200-day moving average price of $13.72.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.19 by $0.15. Barclays had a net margin of 20.81% and a return on equity of 7.74%. Analysts predict that Barclays will post 2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Barclays Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 4th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a dividend of $0.2737 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This is an increase from Barclays’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.27. This represents a yield of 2.7%. Barclays’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.89%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Barclays

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lindbrook Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Barclays by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 9,476 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $126,000 after purchasing an additional 674 shares in the last quarter. Covenant Partners LLC boosted its stake in Barclays by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Covenant Partners LLC now owns 102,166 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,358,000 after buying an additional 772 shares in the last quarter. Choreo LLC increased its holdings in Barclays by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 46,860 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $623,000 after buying an additional 802 shares during the period. Forum Financial Management LP lifted its holdings in shares of Barclays by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 48,199 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $641,000 after acquiring an additional 874 shares during the period. Finally, Lake Street Advisors Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Barclays by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC now owns 40,500 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $538,000 after acquiring an additional 880 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.