XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS) Stock Price Up 11.1% – Time to Buy?

XPS Pensions Group plc (LON:XPS)’s stock price shot up 11.1% during trading on Saturday . The stock traded as high as GBX 397 ($5.00) and last traded at GBX 385.45 ($4.85). 3,388,795 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 125% from the average session volume of 1,504,858 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 347 ($4.37).

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Shore Capital reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a GBX 435 ($5.48) target price on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a GBX 401 ($5.05) target price on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of GBX 356.50 ($4.49).

XPS Pensions Group Stock Performance

The firm’s 50 day moving average is GBX 343.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 331.16. The stock has a market capitalization of £795.95 million, a PE ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.52, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a current ratio of 1.27.

XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 21st. The company reported GBX 9.40 ($0.12) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. XPS Pensions Group had a net margin of 128.13% and a return on equity of 156.24%.

XPS Pensions Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 7th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 9th were issued a GBX 3.70 ($0.05) dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.03%. XPS Pensions Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 8.03%.

Insider Buying and Selling at XPS Pensions Group

In related news, insider Alan Bannatyne bought 13,033 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 349 ($4.39) per share, with a total value of £45,485.17 ($57,250.06). 5.14% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

XPS Pensions Group Company Profile

XPS Group is a leading UK consulting and administration business specialising in the pensions and insurance sectors. A FTSE 250 company, XPS combines expertise and insight with advanced technology and analytics to address the needs of over 1,400 pension schemes and their sponsoring employers on an ongoing and project basis.