Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC Takes $496,000 Position in Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG)

Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 191,614 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $496,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD boosted its position in Lloyds Banking Group by 39.2% during the 1st quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD now owns 89,948,537 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $232,967,000 after buying an additional 25,351,270 shares during the period. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 149.9% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 29,696,591 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $70,975,000 after purchasing an additional 17,814,615 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 22,166,362 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $52,978,000 after purchasing an additional 1,180,775 shares in the last quarter. Morningstar Investment Services LLC raised its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 96.9% in the 4th quarter. Morningstar Investment Services LLC now owns 21,147,627 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $50,966,000 after purchasing an additional 10,406,673 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 18,625,679 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $44,528,000 after purchasing an additional 439,009 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 2.15% of the company’s stock.

Lloyds Banking Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE LYG traded up $0.01 during trading on Monday, reaching $3.10. 13,828,033 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,208,816. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $2.86 and a 200-day simple moving average of $2.56. The company has a quick ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.45 billion, a PE ratio of 8.18 and a beta of 1.35. Lloyds Banking Group plc has a 52-week low of $1.88 and a 52-week high of $3.13.

Lloyds Banking Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.0546 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 4.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 5th. This is an increase from Lloyds Banking Group’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.05. Lloyds Banking Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 47.37%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Thursday, May 9th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Lloyds Banking Group from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 5th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered shares of Lloyds Banking Group from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Berenberg Bank assumed coverage on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $2.75 price target for the company. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $32.38.

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.