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

Shares of XPS Pensions Group plc (LON:XPS) shot 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). 3,388,795 shares changed 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).

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated 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. Shore Capital reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated 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 investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of GBX 356.50 ($4.49).

XPS Pensions Group Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.52, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.51. The stock has a market cap of £795.95 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.57. The stock’s 50-day moving average is GBX 343.54 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 331.16.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at XPS Pensions Group

In other XPS Pensions Group news, insider Alan Bannatyne acquired 13,033 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 21st. The stock was 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 corporate 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.