Brokerages Set Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR) PT at $77.37

Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by the fourteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eight have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $77.37.

ETR has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Entergy from $68.50 to $85.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. StockNews.com upgraded Entergy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, December 29th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Entergy from $72.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 3rd. Barclays lifted their target price on Entergy from $68.50 to $76.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Scotiabank lowered their price target on Entergy from $165.00 to $82.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday.

Entergy Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of ETR traded up $0.73 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $76.69. The stock had a trading volume of 3,373,319 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,890,974. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $75.24 and a 200-day simple moving average of $65.69. Entergy has a 1-year low of $48.08 and a 1-year high of $79.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.77, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.71.

Entergy (NYSE:ETR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The utilities provider reported $1.50 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.04. Entergy had a return on equity of 9.53% and a net margin of 14.83%. The firm had revenue of $3.39 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.46 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.64 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Entergy will post 3.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Entergy Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 13th were given a dividend of $0.60 per share. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.13%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 13th. Entergy's dividend payout ratio is currently 58.39%.

Insider Transactions at Entergy

In related news, insider Eliecer Viamontes sold 400 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.50, for a total value of $29,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 8,346 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $613,431. This trade represents a 4.57 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Deanna D. Rodriguez sold 6,088 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.94, for a total transaction of $450,146.72. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,952 shares in the company, valued at $292,210.88. The trade was a 60.64 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 14,756 shares of company stock worth $1,095,637 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.39% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Entergy

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Entergy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Cetera Trust Company N.A bought a new position in shares of Entergy in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its stake in Entergy by 423.8% during the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 220 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. Coastline Trust Co bought a new stake in Entergy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new stake in Entergy in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $42,000. 88.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Entergy Company Profile

Entergy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and retail distribution of electricity in the United States. It generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, including the City of New Orleans; and distributes natural gas.