KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Invests $1.37 Million in SM Energy (NYSE:SM)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new stake in shares of SM Energy (NYSE:SM - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 35,400 shares of the energy company's stock, valued at approximately $1,372,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in SM Energy in the fourth quarter valued at about $22,059,000. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of SM Energy by 214.7% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 519,302 shares of the energy company's stock worth $20,128,000 after purchasing an additional 354,297 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in SM Energy by 8.8% in the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,682,093 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $142,718,000 after purchasing an additional 296,601 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in SM Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $9,924,000. Finally, Wealthfront Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in SM Energy in the fourth quarter worth $5,404,000. 94.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on SM Energy from $45.00 to $33.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 25th. Raymond James cut their target price on shares of SM Energy from $59.00 to $40.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of SM Energy from $54.00 to $41.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 13th. Williams Trading set a $41.00 price target on shares of SM Energy in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $57.00 price objective on shares of SM Energy in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $48.00.

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SM Energy Price Performance

NYSE:SM traded down $5.09 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $25.43. 4,467,704 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,806,360. SM Energy has a 52 week low of $25.32 and a 52 week high of $53.26. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $33.63 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $39.12. The company has a quick ratio of 3.52, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The firm has a market cap of $2.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.81 and a beta of 3.75.

SM Energy (NYSE:SM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The energy company reported $1.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.00 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $852.22 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $849.44 million. SM Energy had a net margin of 28.63% and a return on equity of 19.82%. On average, research analysts anticipate that SM Energy will post 8.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

SM Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 18th will be paid a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 17th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.15%. SM Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 11.98%.

Insider Transactions at SM Energy

In other news, Director Barton R. Brookman, Jr. purchased 7,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $32.36 per share, with a total value of $226,520.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 14,666 shares in the company, valued at approximately $474,591.76. This trade represents a 91.31 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

SM Energy Company Profile

SM Energy Company, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, gas, and natural gas liquids in the state of Texas. It has working interests in oil and gas producing wells in the Midland Basin and South Texas. The company was formerly known as St.