Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 11,800,000 shares, a growth of 32.7% from the January 31st total of 8,890,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 15,760,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.7 days. Approximately 0.4% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on BCS. BNP Paribas raised shares of Barclays from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday. StockNews.com downgraded Barclays from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Barclays has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Barclays

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BCS. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Barclays by 33.4% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 21,726 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $264,000 after buying an additional 5,439 shares in the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Barclays by 48.6% during the 3rd quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 35,170 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $427,000 after acquiring an additional 11,500 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Barclays by 1,115.0% during the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 19,440 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,360,000 after acquiring an additional 17,840 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE grew its holdings in Barclays by 29.9% in the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 190,432 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,314,000 after purchasing an additional 43,786 shares during the period. Finally, Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Barclays in the third quarter valued at $126,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 3.39% of the company’s stock.

Barclays Trading Up 3.2 %

BCS stock traded up $0.50 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $16.21. The company had a trading volume of 20,728,073 shares, compared to its average volume of 22,283,625. The stock has a market cap of $58.43 billion, a PE ratio of 8.81, a PEG ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 1.41. The business has a 50-day moving average of $14.43 and a 200-day moving average of $13.25. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.33. Barclays has a one year low of $8.77 and a one year high of $16.27.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.19 by $0.15. Barclays had a net margin of 20.81% and a return on equity of 7.74%. Research analysts predict that Barclays will post 2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Barclays Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a $0.2737 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 2.7%. This is an increase from Barclays’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.27. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Barclays’s payout ratio is currently 28.80%.

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.