HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC) Shares Sold by Wedbush Securities Inc.

Wedbush Securities Inc. trimmed its holdings in HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC) by 6.5% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 12,472 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 868 shares during the period. Wedbush Securities Inc.’s holdings in HSBC were worth $617,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Berbice Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in HSBC during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of HSBC by 58.2% during the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 571 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of HSBC during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in shares of HSBC in the 4th quarter worth $49,000. Finally, Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of HSBC during the fourth quarter worth $73,000. Institutional investors own 1.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on HSBC shares. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of HSBC in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Barclays raised shares of HSBC from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of HSBC from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating on shares of HSBC in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com raised HSBC from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, HSBC has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

HSBC Stock Performance

Shares of HSBC opened at $48.40 on Tuesday. HSBC Holdings plc has a 52 week low of $39.42 and a 52 week high of $61.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 0.88. The company has a market capitalization of $172.34 billion, a PE ratio of 7.81, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.40. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $56.02 and its 200 day moving average price is $50.23.

HSBC (NYSE:HSBC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The financial services provider reported $1.45 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $11.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.79 billion. HSBC had a net margin of 16.17% and a return on equity of 12.20%. Research analysts expect that HSBC Holdings plc will post 6.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HSBC Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Investors of record on Friday, March 7th will be paid a $1.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 7th. This represents a $7.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 14.88%. HSBC’s payout ratio is 115.81%.

About HSBC

HSBC Holdings plc provides banking and financial services worldwide. The company operates through Wealth and Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Global Banking and Markets segments. The Wealth and Personal Banking segment offers retail banking and wealth products, including current and savings accounts, mortgages and personal loans, credit and debit cards, and local and international payment services; and wealth management services comprising insurance and investment products, global asset management services, investment management, and private wealth solutions.