Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Shares Purchased by Avantax Advisory Services Inc.

Avantax Advisory Services Inc. lifted its position in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Free Report) by 13.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 34,942 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 4,264 shares during the quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc.'s holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $2,359,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Xcel Energy Price Performance

NASDAQ:XEL traded down $0.15 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $70.09. 3,038,884 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,667,310. The stock's 50-day moving average is $68.02 and its 200-day moving average is $66.94. Xcel Energy Inc. has a twelve month low of $51.58 and a twelve month high of $73.38. The firm has a market cap of $40.27 billion, a PE ratio of 20.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42.

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Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.87 by ($0.06). Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.65% and a net margin of 14.40%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. This is an increase from Xcel Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.25%. Xcel Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 66.28%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on XEL shares. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on 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. upgraded shares of Xcel Energy from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and upped their price target for the company from $69.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday. KeyCorp upped their target price on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on Xcel Energy from $71.00 to $69.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $71.70.

Insider Transactions at Xcel Energy

In other news, Director Devin W. Stockfish acquired 2,170 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $68.93 per share, with a total value of $149,578.10. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 3,007 shares of the company's stock, valued at $207,272.51. This trade represents a 259.26 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Xcel Energy Company 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.