Energy Transfer (NYSE:ET) Stock Price Up 1.9% - Should You Buy?

Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET - Get Free Report)'s stock price was up 1.9% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $17.60 and last traded at $17.30. Approximately 5,557,325 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 63% from the average daily volume of 15,175,633 shares. The stock had previously closed at $16.98.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have issued reports on ET. Barclays raised their price target on Energy Transfer from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted 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. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Energy Transfer in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Energy Transfer from $20.00 to $26.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 25th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $23.00 price objective on shares of Energy Transfer in a report on Tuesday, March 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $22.09.

Energy Transfer Price Performance

The company's fifty day moving average is $18.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $18.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 1.12. The firm has a market cap of $59.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.32.

Energy Transfer (NYSE:ET - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The pipeline company reported $0.29 EPS 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%. Equities research analysts forecast 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 will be paid on Tuesday, May 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be given a $0.3275 dividend. This is an increase from Energy Transfer's previous quarterly dividend of $0.33. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 9th. This represents a $1.31 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.49%. Energy Transfer's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 101.56%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of Montreal Can increased its stake in Energy Transfer by 12,090.8% during the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 12,455,613 shares of the pipeline company's stock worth $244,005,000 after buying an additional 12,353,441 shares during the period. FMR LLC grew its stake in shares of Energy Transfer by 15.7% during the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 38,634,018 shares of the pipeline company's stock valued at $756,840,000 after acquiring an additional 5,254,721 shares in the last quarter. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI purchased a new stake in shares of Energy Transfer during the fourth quarter worth about $79,113,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new position in shares of Energy Transfer in the fourth quarter worth about $50,166,000. Finally, Westwood Holdings Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Energy Transfer by 18.2% in the fourth quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 16,331,220 shares of the pipeline company's stock valued at $319,929,000 after purchasing an additional 2,512,060 shares during the last quarter. 38.22% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.