KB Financial Group (NYSE:KB) Hits New 1-Year High – Still a Buy?

Shares of KB Financial Group Inc (NYSE:KB) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $119.71 and last traded at $118.27, with a volume of 277374 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $116.33.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KB has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of KB Financial Group in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research raised KB Financial Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

KB Financial Group Stock Up 1.7%

The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $96.14 and its 200-day moving average price is $87.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.38, a current ratio of 1.65 and a quick ratio of 1.65. The company has a market cap of $44.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 1.11.

KB Financial Group (NYSE:KB) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, January 31st. The bank reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter. KB Financial Group had a net margin of 16.96% and a return on equity of 9.79%. Sell-side analysts forecast that KB Financial Group Inc will post 8.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On KB Financial Group

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in KB Financial Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $300,000. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in shares of KB Financial Group during the first quarter worth $259,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in shares of KB Financial Group by 53.4% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 96,650 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $5,230,000 after purchasing an additional 33,650 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of KB Financial Group by 64.3% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 26,136 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,414,000 after purchasing an additional 10,225 shares during the period. Finally, Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in KB Financial Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $239,000. 11.52% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About KB Financial Group

KB Financial Group Inc is a South Korea-based financial holding company that offers a broad range of banking and financial services. Headquartered in Seoul and listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker KB, the group operates through a set of specialized subsidiaries to provide integrated financial solutions for retail, corporate and institutional clients.

The company’s principal businesses include retail and corporate banking, securities and investment banking, insurance (life and non-life), asset management, credit card and consumer finance, and leasing.