ING Groep (NYSE:ING) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of ING Groep (NYSE:ING) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, one has issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company.

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Cfra Research raised shares of ING Groep from a “moderate sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of ING Groep from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 27th.

ING Groep Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ING opened at $21.10 on Thursday. ING Groep has a 52 week low of $15.09 and a 52 week high of $21.13. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.89. The firm has a market cap of $73.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.86, a P/E/G ratio of 6.42 and a beta of 1.15. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $19.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $17.39.

ING Groep (NYSE:ING) last posted its earnings results on Friday, May 2nd. The financial services provider reported $0.49 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.56 by ($0.07). ING Groep had a return on equity of 11.81% and a net margin of 28.30%. The company had revenue of $6.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.74 billion. On average, sell-side analysts expect that ING Groep will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current year.

ING Groep Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 25th were given a $0.6526 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 25th. This represents a yield of 5.1%. This is an increase from ING Groep’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.17. ING Groep’s payout ratio is currently 64.45%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ING Groep

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Roxbury Financial LLC acquired a new position in ING Groep during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Legacy Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ING Groep during the 1st quarter worth $28,000. Brooklyn Investment Group lifted its holdings in ING Groep by 184.8% during the 4th quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 1,860 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 1,207 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of ING Groep by 135.3% in the 1st quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 1,586 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 912 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Redwood Investments LLC acquired a new position in ING Groep in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. 4.49% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ING Groep Company Profile

ING Groep N.V. provides various banking products and services in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, rest of Europe, and internationally. It operates through five segments: Retail Netherlands, Retail Belgium, Retail Germany, Retail Other, and Wholesale Banking. The company accepts current and savings accounts.