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

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

BCS has been the topic of a number of other reports. Kepler Capital Markets began coverage on Barclays in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Barclays in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock.

Barclays Stock Down 0.5 %

NYSE BCS opened at $12.92 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.67, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.35. Barclays has a fifty-two week low of $7.07 and a fifty-two week high of $13.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.62 billion, a PE ratio of 8.79 and a beta of 1.41. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $13.07 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $12.06.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) last posted its 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 period last year, the company posted $0.42 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Barclays will post 1.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Barclays

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA purchased a new position in shares of Barclays during the third quarter valued at approximately $3,647,000. Dorsey Wright & Associates purchased a new stake in Barclays in the 3rd quarter valued at about $3,276,000. Raymond James & Associates lifted its position in shares of Barclays by 11.9% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 4,007,379 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $48,690,000 after buying an additional 426,815 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Barclays in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $235,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Barclays by 20.0% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 268,284 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,260,000 after acquiring an additional 44,760 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.