XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS) Trading Up 11.1% – Still a Buy?

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

XPS Pensions Group Price Performance

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

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

XPS Pensions Group Cuts Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at XPS Pensions Group

In other XPS Pensions Group news, insider Alan Bannatyne acquired 13,033 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 21st. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 349 ($4.39) per share, with a total value of £45,485.17 ($57,250.06). Corporate insiders own 5.14% of the company’s stock.

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.