Entropy Technologies LP Acquires 127,228 Shares of Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS)

Entropy Technologies LP increased its holdings in shares of Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) by 1,196.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 137,861 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 127,228 shares during the quarter. Entropy Technologies LP’s holdings in Barclays were worth $2,118,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Financial Management Professionals Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Barclays during the 1st quarter worth $29,000. Wealthquest Corp purchased a new stake in Barclays during the first quarter worth about $32,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new stake in Barclays in the first quarter worth about $40,000. Wayfinding Financial LLC purchased a new position in Barclays in the first quarter valued at about $46,000. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its stake in Barclays by 1,539.6% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 4,509 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $69,000 after acquiring an additional 4,234 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 3.39% of the company’s stock.

Barclays Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of BCS stock opened at $19.96 on Monday. Barclays PLC has a 1 year low of $11.05 and a 1 year high of $20.07. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $18.54 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $16.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.70, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 1.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $70.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.20, a PEG ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.15.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.50 by $0.12. Barclays had a return on equity of 8.49% and a net margin of 22.11%. The business had revenue of $9.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.06 billion. As a group, analysts anticipate that Barclays PLC will post 2 earnings per share for the current year.

Barclays Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.1557 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 8th. This represents a yield of 210.0%. Barclays’s payout ratio is currently 14.29%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BCS has been the topic of a number of research reports. Citigroup cut shares of Barclays from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 18th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Barclays in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Barclays from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 13th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Barclays in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Barclays has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

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.