Lloyds Banking Group plc (LON:LLOY) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of Lloyds Banking Group plc (LON:LLOY) have been assigned an average rating of “Hold” from the nine analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is GBX 107.78.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on LLOY shares. Citigroup increased their price objective on Lloyds Banking Group from GBX 98 to GBX 106 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Lloyds Banking Group from GBX 102 to GBX 117 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Shore Capital Group reissued a “sell” rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on shares of Lloyds Banking Group to GBX 125 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Lloyds Banking Group from GBX 100 to GBX 120 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th.

Lloyds Banking Group Price Performance

Shares of LON:LLOY opened at GBX 97.94 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is GBX 100.35 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 94.60. The company has a market cap of £57.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.93. Lloyds Banking Group has a 12-month low of GBX 60.78 and a 12-month high of GBX 114.60.

Lloyds Banking Group (LON:LLOY) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported GBX 7 EPS for the quarter. Lloyds Banking Group had a return on equity of 9.93% and a net margin of 24.49%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Lloyds Banking Group will post 7.3199528 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Lloyds Banking Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Lloyds Banking Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Lloyds continued its on‑market share buyback programme, repurchasing and cancelling 9.5 million shares, reducing share count and supporting EPS. Lloyds Banking Group Buys Back and Cancels 9.5 Million Shares
• Positive Sentiment: Another recent cancellation: 8.52 million ordinary shares repurchased on 1 April — further buybacks that can support EPS and signal management confidence. Lloyds Banking Group Buys Back and Cancels 8.5 Million Shares
• Positive Sentiment: Technical: LLOY recently crossed above its 200‑day moving average, a common bullish signal that can attract momentum buyers and funds following trend rules. Stock Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average
• Neutral Sentiment: Lloyds and the University of Glasgow launched a four‑year study into agentic AI for engineering — positive for innovation and long‑term tech capability but not an immediate earnings driver. AI Study Launch
• Neutral Sentiment: Local planning news: demolition plans for a former Lloyds branch/office are unlikely to materially affect group finances or operations. Demolition Plans
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry context: UK banks are passing on mortgage rate increases after recent Bank of England commentary — mixed implications for margins and new lending activity. Mortgage Rate Moves
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory redress: Lloyds is sticking to a £2bn provision for motor finance compensation despite FCA scheme changes — this keeps a significant potential charge on the P&L and limits upside to capital returns. Provision for Motor Finance Compensation
• Negative Sentiment: IT incident: a systems glitch led to a data leak affecting nearly 500,000 customers — raises operational and reputational risk and could draw regulatory scrutiny or remediation costs. IT Glitch / Data Leak
• Negative Sentiment: Broker view: Shore Capital reaffirmed a “sell” rating on LLOY, which could cap sentiment among retail and some institutional investors. Broker Reaffirms Sell

Lloyds Banking Group Company Profile

We are the largest UK retail and commercial financial services provider with over 25 million customers and a presence in nearly every community.

The Group’s main business activities are retail and commercial banking, general insurance and long-term savings, provided through the largest branch network and digital bank in the UK, with well recognised brands including Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Scottish Widows.

Our shares are quoted on the London and New York stock exchanges and we are one of the largest companies in the FTSE 100 index.