Exelon Co. (NASDAQ:EXC) Shares Purchased by Federated Hermes Inc.

Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its position in Exelon Co. (NASDAQ:EXC - Free Report) by 30.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 31,183 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 7,242 shares during the quarter. Federated Hermes Inc.'s holdings in Exelon were worth $1,174,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Millstone Evans Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Exelon in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Stephens Consulting LLC lifted its position in shares of Exelon by 78.1% during the 4th quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 782 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 343 shares during the period. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Exelon during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Exelon during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC increased its position in shares of Exelon by 119.6% in the fourth quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 942 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 513 shares during the period. 80.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Exelon Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of NASDAQ EXC traded up $0.75 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $47.26. 7,496,103 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,228,455. Exelon Co. has a 12 month low of $34.01 and a 12 month high of $48.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61. The company's 50 day moving average price is $44.35 and its 200 day moving average price is $40.81.

Exelon (NASDAQ:EXC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.59 by $0.05. Exelon had a return on equity of 9.52% and a net margin of 10.68%. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.60 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Exelon Co. will post 2.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Exelon Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.39%. This is a positive change from Exelon's previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. Exelon's dividend payout ratio is presently 65.31%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Colette D. Honorable sold 1,463 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.57, for a total value of $59,353.91. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 2,271 shares of the company's stock, valued at $92,134.47. This trade represents a 39.18 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on EXC shares. Guggenheim upgraded shares of Exelon from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Exelon from $45.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Scotiabank raised their target price on Exelon from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Barclays boosted their price target on Exelon from $42.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Exelon from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $45.63.

About Exelon

Exelon Corporation, a utility services holding company, engages in the energy distribution and transmission businesses in the United States and Canada. The company is involved in the purchase and regulated retail sale of electricity and natural gas, transmission and distribution of electricity, and distribution of natural gas to retail customers.