Quantbot Technologies LP Makes New Investment in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL)

Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 34,038 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,298,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in Xcel Energy during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Fairway Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. MCF Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy by 566.3% during the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 593 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 504 shares during the period. Finally, First Financial Corp IN purchased a new position in Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $46,000. 78.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

XEL has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Xcel Energy from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their price target for the company from $69.00 to $80.00 in a report on Thursday, December 12th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Xcel Energy from $70.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $71.00 to $69.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $72.30.

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Xcel Energy Trading Up 0.6 %

NASDAQ:XEL traded up $0.40 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $69.32. 3,870,700 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,308,224. The firm has a market cap of $39.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.15, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.37. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $68.47 and a 200 day simple moving average of $67.16. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 52-week low of $51.97 and a 52-week high of $73.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.82.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.06). Xcel Energy had a net margin of 14.40% and a return on equity of 10.65%. As a group, analysts predict that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 EPS for the current year.

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This is a positive change from Xcel Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.29%. Xcel Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.28%.

Insider Transactions at Xcel Energy

In related news, Director Devin W. Stockfish purchased 2,170 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $68.93 per share, with a total value of $149,578.10. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 3,007 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $207,272.51. The trade was a 259.26 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Xcel Energy Profile

Xcel Energy Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, purchasing, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity. It operates through Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility, and All Other segments. The company generates electricity through wind, nuclear, hydroelectric, biomass, and solar energy sources, as well as coal, natural gas, oil, wood, and refuse-derived fuels.