Barclays (NYSE:BCS) Lowered to “Buy” Rating by StockNews.com

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

Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Barclays in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock.

Barclays Price Performance

NYSE:BCS traded down $0.04 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $14.01. The company had a trading volume of 24,295,547 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,206,365. The company has a market capitalization of $50.53 billion, a PE ratio of 9.53, a P/E/G ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a quick ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.67. Barclays has a 52-week low of $7.07 and a 52-week high of $14.07. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $13.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $12.41.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $8.52 billion during the quarter. Barclays had a return on equity of 6.30% and a net margin of 17.83%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.42 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Barclays will post 1.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Barclays

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in Barclays in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. bought a new position in shares of Barclays during the third quarter valued at about $42,000. Versant Capital Management Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Barclays during the fourth quarter worth about $44,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in Barclays by 32.4% during the 3rd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,624 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 1,132 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Barclays by 42.6% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 9,280 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $113,000 after purchasing an additional 2,774 shares during the last quarter. 3.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.