Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. Sells 176,577 Shares of UGI Co. (NYSE:UGI)

Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. lowered its stake in UGI Co. (NYSE:UGI - Free Report) by 11.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,358,902 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 176,577 shares during the period. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. owned approximately 0.63% of UGI worth $38,362,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Citigroup Inc. increased its holdings in UGI by 33.0% during the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 203,313 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $5,087,000 after purchasing an additional 50,485 shares during the period. FMR LLC boosted its position in shares of UGI by 42.0% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 9,418,865 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $235,660,000 after purchasing an additional 2,786,878 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in UGI by 35.1% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,227,732 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $30,718,000 after acquiring an additional 318,655 shares in the last quarter. Commerce Bank bought a new position in UGI in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $645,000. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its position in UGI by 254.3% in the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 181,687 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $5,138,000 after acquiring an additional 130,407 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.34% of the company's stock.

UGI Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UGI traded down $0.12 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $32.92. The company had a trading volume of 3,142,312 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,166,779. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The company has a market cap of $7.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.96, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.17. UGI Co. has a 12-month low of $22.01 and a 12-month high of $34.49. The company has a fifty day moving average of $31.53 and a two-hundred day moving average of $27.78.

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UGI (NYSE:UGI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.37 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.16. UGI had a return on equity of 15.19% and a net margin of 7.73%. On average, equities research analysts expect that UGI Co. will post 3.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UGI Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th will be issued a $0.375 dividend. This represents a $1.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 17th. UGI's dividend payout ratio is currently 59.06%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Michael Sharp acquired 4,806 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 27th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $33.30 per share, with a total value of $160,039.80. Following the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 4,806 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $160,039.80. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.73% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of UGI in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. They set a "buy" rating and a $28.00 target price for the company.

UGI Company Profile

UGI Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, distributes, stores, transports, and markets energy products and related services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through four segments: AmeriGas Propane, UGI International, Midstream & Marketing, and UGI Utilities. It distributes propane to approximately 1.3 million residential, commercial/industrial, motor fuel, agricultural, and wholesale customers through 1,400 propane distribution locations.