CONSOL Energy (NYSE:CEIX) Shares Down 3.4% - Time to Sell?

Shares of CONSOL Energy Inc. (NYSE:CEIX - Get Free Report) fell 3.4% on Friday . The company traded as low as $104.42 and last traded at $104.63. 320,808 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 34% from the average session volume of 485,097 shares. The stock had previously closed at $108.29.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CEIX has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Benchmark increased their target price on CONSOL Energy from $105.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, November 18th. B. Riley raised their target price on shares of CONSOL Energy from $109.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, October 7th.

CONSOL Energy Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 1.38. The company has a market capitalization of $3.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.61 and a beta of 1.76. The firm's fifty day moving average is $118.42 and its 200 day moving average is $105.41.

CONSOL Energy (NYSE:CEIX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 5th. The company reported $3.22 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.17 by $0.05. CONSOL Energy had a return on equity of 28.96% and a net margin of 18.02%. The firm had revenue of $574.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $554.00 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.11 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up .9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that CONSOL Energy Inc. will post 11.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CONSOL Energy Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, November 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 15th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 15th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.96%. CONSOL Energy's payout ratio is 7.34%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CONSOL Energy

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CEIX. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in CONSOL Energy by 2,931.3% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 485 shares of the company's stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 469 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CONSOL Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Quest Partners LLC bought a new position in CONSOL Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $104,000. KBC Group NV increased its holdings in CONSOL Energy by 33.2% during the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,019 shares of the company's stock worth $107,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in CONSOL Energy by 36.4% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,200 shares of the company's stock valued at $126,000 after purchasing an additional 320 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.54% of the company's stock.

About CONSOL Energy

CONSOL Energy Inc, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells bituminous coal in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Pennsylvania Mining Complex (PAMC) and CONSOL Marine Terminal. The company's PAMC segment engages in the mining, preparing, and marketing of bituminous coal to power generators, industrial end-users, and metallurgical end-users.