Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Stake Cut by Intact Investment Management Inc.

Intact Investment Management Inc. trimmed its position in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Free Report) by 32.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 81,700 shares of the company's stock after selling 39,850 shares during the period. Intact Investment Management Inc.'s holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $5,516,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Fairway Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy by 566.3% during the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 593 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 504 shares during the period. 78.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Devin W. Stockfish purchased 2,170 shares of Xcel Energy stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $68.93 per share, with a total value of $149,578.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,007 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $207,272.51. This trade represents a 259.26 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

XEL has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $72.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. KeyCorp lifted their target price on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Xcel Energy from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their target price for the company from $69.00 to $80.00 in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on Xcel Energy from $71.00 to $69.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $71.10.

Xcel Energy Stock Up 0.5 %

Xcel Energy stock traded up $0.32 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $70.28. 3,159,763 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,332,587. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 1 year low of $51.37 and a 1 year high of $73.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The firm has a market cap of $40.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $67.85 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $66.86.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.06). Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.65% and a net margin of 14.40%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 20th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.24%. This is an increase from Xcel Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. Xcel Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently 66.28%.

Xcel Energy Profile

Xcel Energy Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, purchasing, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity. It operates through Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility, and All Other segments. The company generates electricity through wind, nuclear, hydroelectric, biomass, and solar energy sources, as well as coal, natural gas, oil, wood, and refuse-derived fuels.