Energy Transfer (NYSE:ET) Shares Up 0.7% - Time to Buy?

Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET - Get Free Report) shot up 0.7% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $19.17 and last traded at $19.07. 2,329,641 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 86% from the average session volume of 16,746,961 shares. The stock had previously closed at $18.94.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on ET. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Energy Transfer from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, January 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Energy Transfer from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Energy Transfer from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Energy Transfer from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 18th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Energy Transfer from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $21.55.

Energy Transfer Stock Down 1.4 %

The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $65.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.69. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $19.92 and its 200 day simple moving average is $18.04.

Energy Transfer (NYSE:ET - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The pipeline company reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.35 by ($0.06). Energy Transfer had a return on equity of 11.56% and a net margin of 5.74%. Research analysts expect that Energy Transfer LP will post 1.46 EPS for the current year.

Energy Transfer Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th were given a dividend of $0.325 per share. This represents a $1.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.83%. This is an increase from Energy Transfer's previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 7th. Energy Transfer's dividend payout ratio is 101.56%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Energy Transfer

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Energy Transfer by 21.1% in the 3rd quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 46,642 shares of the pipeline company's stock worth $749,000 after purchasing an additional 8,117 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE lifted its stake in shares of Energy Transfer by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 143,800 shares of the pipeline company's stock worth $2,308,000 after purchasing an additional 4,723 shares during the period. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV lifted its stake in shares of Energy Transfer by 10.7% in the 3rd quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 12,410 shares of the pipeline company's stock worth $199,000 after purchasing an additional 1,200 shares during the period. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC lifted its stake in shares of Energy Transfer by 100.7% in the 3rd quarter. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC now owns 88,351 shares of the pipeline company's stock worth $1,418,000 after purchasing an additional 44,338 shares during the period. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Energy Transfer by 1,884.9% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 33,544 shares of the pipeline company's stock worth $538,000 after purchasing an additional 31,854 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 38.22% of the company's stock.

About Energy Transfer

Energy Transfer LP provides energy-related services. The company owns and operates natural gas transportation pipeline, and natural gas storage facilities in Texas and Oklahoma; and approximately 20,090 miles of interstate natural gas pipeline. It also sells natural gas to electric utilities, independent power plants, local distribution and other marketing companies, and industrial end-users.