Alliant Energy Co. (NASDAQ:LNT) Sees Large Decrease in Short Interest

Alliant Energy Co. (NASDAQ:LNT - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 7,430,000 shares, a drop of 13.4% from the February 28th total of 8,580,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,820,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.1 days. Currently, 2.9% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Alliant Energy Trading Down 5.4 %

NASDAQ:LNT traded down $3.49 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $61.36. 3,087,928 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,573,343. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33. The firm's fifty day moving average is $62.16 and its 200-day moving average is $60.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.81, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.52. Alliant Energy has a 12-month low of $47.23 and a 12-month high of $66.54.

Alliant Energy (NASDAQ:LNT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.68 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $976.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.14 billion. Alliant Energy had a net margin of 17.33% and a return on equity of 11.39%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Alliant Energy will post 3.23 EPS for the current year.

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Alliant Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.5075 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 30th. This represents a $2.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.31%. Alliant Energy's dividend payout ratio is 75.46%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on LNT shares. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Alliant Energy from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Scotiabank lowered Alliant Energy from a "sector outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and raised their price objective for the company from $64.00 to $67.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Alliant Energy from $65.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $57.00 price target on shares of Alliant Energy in a research note on Monday, February 24th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $63.55.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alliant Energy

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LNT. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its stake in Alliant Energy by 14.1% in the first quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 3,107 shares of the company's stock worth $200,000 after purchasing an additional 384 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Alliant Energy by 31.0% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 64,387 shares of the company's stock worth $3,808,000 after buying an additional 15,232 shares during the period. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Alliant Energy by 10.3% in the 4th quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,902 shares of the company's stock worth $586,000 after buying an additional 927 shares during the period. LifeWealth Investments LLC bought a new stake in Alliant Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $257,000. Finally, Columbia River Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Alliant Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $456,000. 79.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Alliant Energy Company Profile

Alliant Energy Corporation operates as a utility holding company that provides regulated electricity and natural gas services in the United States. It operates in three segments: Utility Electric Operations, Utility Gas Operations, and Utility Other. The company, through its subsidiary, Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL), primarily generates and distributes electricity, and distributes and transports natural gas to retail customers in Iowa; sells electricity to wholesale customers in Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa; and generates and distributes steam in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.