Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC lowered its stake in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Free Report) by 11.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,131,567 shares of the company's stock after selling 147,854 shares during the quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC owned about 0.20% of Xcel Energy worth $76,403,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Fairway Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new position in Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. MCF Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy by 566.3% during the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 593 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 504 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Financial Corp IN purchased a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $46,000. Institutional investors own 78.38% of the company's stock.
Xcel Energy Stock Performance
Xcel Energy stock traded up $1.02 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $71.92. The company had a trading volume of 1,263,279 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,562,614. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The firm has a market cap of $41.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.91, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a 50 day moving average of $68.81 and a 200-day moving average of $67.39. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 52 week low of $51.97 and a 52 week high of $73.38.
Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 expect that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Xcel Energy Increases Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 20th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a $0.57 dividend. This is a boost from Xcel Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.17%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. Xcel Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.28%.
Insider Buying and Selling at Xcel Energy
In related news, Director Devin W. Stockfish bought 2,170 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $68.93 per share, with a total value of $149,578.10. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 3,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $207,272.51. This represents a 259.26 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several research firms have commented on XEL. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $73.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday. 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 report on Friday, February 7th. Barclays increased their price objective on Xcel Energy from $69.00 to $72.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday. Finally, KeyCorp boosted their target price on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $73.00.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy Company Profile
(
Free Report)
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.
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