Moody Aldrich Partners LLC Acquires 31,582 Shares of SM Energy (NYSE:SM)

Moody Aldrich Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of SM Energy (NYSE:SM - Free Report) by 31.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 132,267 shares of the energy company's stock after acquiring an additional 31,582 shares during the quarter. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC owned approximately 0.12% of SM Energy worth $5,127,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of SM Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in shares of SM Energy by 3,434.5% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,025 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 996 shares during the period. Millburn Ridgefield Corp purchased a new position in shares of SM Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $55,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of SM Energy by 3,897.2% during the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 1,439 shares of the energy company's stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 1,403 shares during the period. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in SM Energy in the 3rd quarter worth about $83,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.56% of the company's stock.

SM Energy Price Performance

SM stock traded down $1.66 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $37.95. The company had a trading volume of 1,282,755 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,349,113. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $41.02 and a 200-day moving average price of $42.46. The company has a market capitalization of $4.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.30 and a beta of 4.14. SM Energy has a 1 year low of $34.90 and a 1 year high of $53.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 3.52 and a quick ratio of 3.52.

SM Energy (NYSE:SM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The energy company reported $1.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.52 by $0.10. SM Energy had a return on equity of 19.62% and a net margin of 33.89%. The firm had revenue of $643.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $643.67 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.73 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that SM Energy will post 6.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

SM Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 24th will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 24th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.11%. SM Energy's payout ratio is currently 11.17%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen upgraded shares of SM Energy from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and cut their target price for the stock from $64.00 to $60.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and issued a $50.00 price objective on shares of SM Energy in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. Susquehanna lowered their target price on shares of SM Energy from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on SM Energy from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their price objective on SM Energy from $57.00 to $55.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $51.90.

SM Energy Profile

SM Energy Company, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, gas, and natural gas liquids in the state of Texas. It has working interests in oil and gas producing wells in the Midland Basin and South Texas. The company was formerly known as St.