Middlesex Water (NASDAQ:MSEX) Shares Sold by SG Americas Securities LLC

SG Americas Securities LLC lessened its stake in shares of Middlesex Water (NASDAQ:MSEX - Free Report) by 58.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,595 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 13,771 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC owned 0.05% of Middlesex Water worth $505,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Middlesex Water by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 434,559 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $28,356,000 after purchasing an additional 3,430 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC raised its holdings in shares of Middlesex Water by 349.4% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 29,919 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $1,952,000 after buying an additional 23,262 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in Middlesex Water by 7.0% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 813,455 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $53,070,000 after buying an additional 53,098 shares during the period. Thematics Asset Management increased its stake in Middlesex Water by 5.8% in the 3rd quarter. Thematics Asset Management now owns 181,000 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $11,808,000 after purchasing an additional 10,000 shares during the period. Finally, FMR LLC raised its holdings in Middlesex Water by 9.7% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 7,018 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $458,000 after buying an additional 618 shares during the last quarter. 79.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Middlesex Water Trading Up 0.7 %

MSEX traded up $0.35 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $50.68. The company had a trading volume of 65,686 shares, compared to its average volume of 115,543. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $54.25 and a 200-day simple moving average of $60.74. Middlesex Water has a 52 week low of $45.42 and a 52 week high of $70.73. The stock has a market cap of $904.64 million, a P/E ratio of 22.03, a PEG ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.85.

Middlesex Water Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be paid a $0.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.68%. Middlesex Water's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 59.13%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MSEX has been the subject of several recent research reports. Bank of America started coverage on Middlesex Water in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. They set an "underperform" rating and a $56.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on Middlesex Water from $58.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st.

Middlesex Water Profile

Middlesex Water Company owns and operates regulated water utility and wastewater systems. It operates in Regulated and Non-Regulated segments. The Regulated segment collects, treats, and distributes water on a retail and wholesale basis to residential, commercial, industrial, and fire protection customers, as well as provides regulated wastewater systems in New Jersey and Delaware.