Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its position in shares of Hess Co. (NYSE:HES - Free Report) by 29.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 10,726 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock after acquiring an additional 2,418 shares during the quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC's holdings in Hess were worth $1,427,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of HES. J.Safra Asset Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of Hess during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in Hess during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC acquired a new position in Hess during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Rialto Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hess in the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, Zions Bancorporation N.A. grew its position in shares of Hess by 225.6% in the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 293 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. 88.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Hess Trading Up 0.0 %
NYSE:HES traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $132.43. 1,097,230 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,880,441. Hess Co. has a 52-week low of $123.79 and a 52-week high of $163.98. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $143.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of $141.99. The firm has a market cap of $40.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.71 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.13.
Hess (NYSE:HES - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.32. Hess had a return on equity of 26.32% and a net margin of 21.27%. As a group, analysts predict that Hess Co. will post 8.08 EPS for the current year.
Hess Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.51%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 17th. Hess's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.22%.
Insider Activity at Hess
In related news, CEO John B. Hess sold 175,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.30, for a total transaction of $27,877,500.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 2,384,679 shares in the company, valued at approximately $379,879,364.70. This trade represents a 6.84 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 9.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
HES has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Susquehanna reduced their target price on Hess from $160.00 to $136.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Hess from $170.00 to $163.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. StockNews.com started coverage on Hess in a research report on Saturday, April 19th. They set a "hold" rating for the company. Pickering Energy Partners upgraded shares of Hess to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, Scotiabank decreased their price target on shares of Hess from $164.00 to $146.58 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Hess currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $164.46.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Hess
Hess Company Profile
(
Free Report)
Hess Corporation, an exploration and production company, explores, develops, produces, purchases, transports, and sells crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and natural gas. The company operates in two segments, Exploration and Production, and Midstream. It conducts production operations primarily in the United States, Guyana, the Malaysia/Thailand Joint Development Area, and Malaysia; and exploration activities principally offshore Guyana, the U.S.
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