Entergy (NYSE:ETR) Price Target Raised to $94.00 at BMO Capital Markets

Entergy (NYSE:ETR - Free Report) had its price target increased by BMO Capital Markets from $79.00 to $94.00 in a research note released on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the utilities provider's stock.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on ETR. KeyCorp lowered shares of Entergy from an "overweight" rating to a "sector weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. Morgan Stanley raised Entergy from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and upped their price target for the company from $58.00 to $75.00 in a report on Monday, November 4th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Entergy from $85.00 to $97.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday. StockNews.com raised Entergy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, December 29th. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH raised Entergy from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $86.50 price target for the company in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $82.14.

Entergy Trading Down 1.1 %

NYSE:ETR traded down $0.92 on Wednesday, reaching $84.94. 4,755,056 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,839,319. The business has a fifty day moving average of $79.24 and a 200-day moving average of $71.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.81. Entergy has a 52-week low of $49.80 and a 52-week high of $88.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 0.72.

Entergy (NYSE:ETR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The utilities provider reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.63 by $0.03. Entergy had a net margin of 8.90% and a return on equity of 10.68%. The firm had revenue of $2.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.24 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.26 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Entergy will post 3.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Entergy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.83%. Entergy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 98.56%.

Insider Activity at Entergy

In related news, insider Deanna D. Rodriguez sold 6,088 shares of Entergy stock in a transaction on Friday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.94, for a total value of $450,146.72. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,952 shares in the company, valued at $292,210.88. This trade represents a 60.64 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Entergy

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ETR. Fortis Group Advisors LLC grew its position in Entergy by 100.0% in the 4th quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 344 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. NBT Bank N A NY lifted its holdings in Entergy by 100.0% in the fourth quarter. NBT Bank N A NY now owns 340 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 170 shares during the period. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Entergy in the third quarter valued at $27,000. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. lifted its holdings in Entergy by 100.0% in the fourth quarter. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. now owns 358 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 179 shares during the period. Finally, Sandy Spring Bank lifted its holdings in Entergy by 100.0% in the fourth quarter. Sandy Spring Bank now owns 358 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 179 shares during the period. 88.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Entergy Company Profile

Entergy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and retail distribution of electricity in the United States. It generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, including the City of New Orleans; and distributes natural gas.