Baytex Energy Corp. (TSE:BTE) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Baytex Energy Corp. (TSE:BTE - Get Free Report) NYSE: BTE has received a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the eight ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is C$5.97.

BTE has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Baytex Energy from C$6.50 to C$5.50 in a research note on Tuesday, September 17th. Raymond James raised shares of Baytex Energy to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. ATB Capital lowered their target price on shares of Baytex Energy from C$5.50 to C$5.20 in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price target on shares of Baytex Energy from C$6.50 to C$6.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, National Bankshares decreased their price objective on Baytex Energy from C$8.00 to C$7.50 in a report on Friday, September 27th.

Baytex Energy Stock Performance

Shares of TSE:BTE traded up C$0.06 during trading on Wednesday, hitting C$3.48. 1,595,312 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,710,687. The company has a market capitalization of C$2.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.12 and a beta of 2.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 62.33, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 0.72. Baytex Energy has a 1-year low of C$3.15 and a 1-year high of C$5.55. The company's fifty day simple moving average is C$3.92 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$4.39.

Baytex Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.023 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 13th. This represents a $0.09 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.64%. Baytex Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -13.04%.

Insider Activity at Baytex Energy

In related news, Senior Officer Nicole Marie Frechette bought 8,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, December 9th. The stock was bought at an average cost of C$3.67 per share, with a total value of C$30,094.00. Insiders own 0.83% of the company's stock.

About Baytex Energy

Baytex Energy Corp., an energy company, engages in the acquisition, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and in the Eagle Ford, the United States. The company offers light oil and condensate, heavy oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas.