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

Shares of XPS Pensions Group plc (LON:XPS) shot up 11.1% during trading on Saturday . The company traded as high as GBX 397 ($5.00) and last traded at GBX 385.45 ($4.85). 3,388,795 shares traded 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 analysts have recently weighed in on XPS shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a GBX 435 ($5.48) price target on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Shore Capital reissued a “hold” rating on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a GBX 401 ($5.05) price target 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of GBX 356.50 ($4.49).

XPS Pensions Group Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of £795.95 million, a P/E ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a fifty day moving average of GBX 343.54 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 331.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.52, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.51.

XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 21st. The company reported GBX 9.40 ($0.12) 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 firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 7th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 9th were given a GBX 3.70 ($0.05) dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 9th. XPS Pensions Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.03%.

Insider Activity at XPS Pensions Group

In related news, insider Alan Bannatyne purchased 13,033 shares of XPS Pensions Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 349 ($4.39) per share, for a total transaction of £45,485.17 ($57,250.06). 5.14% of the stock is 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.