Copeland Capital Management LLC Has $73.57 Million Stock Holdings in Chesapeake Utilities Co. (NYSE:CPK)

Copeland Capital Management LLC increased its position in Chesapeake Utilities Co. (NYSE:CPK - Free Report) by 9.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 592,471 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 51,164 shares during the quarter. Chesapeake Utilities makes up 1.3% of Copeland Capital Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Copeland Capital Management LLC owned approximately 2.66% of Chesapeake Utilities worth $73,567,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Chesapeake Utilities by 180.1% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 633 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $67,000 after acquiring an additional 407 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its holdings in shares of Chesapeake Utilities by 17.7% in the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 765 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $81,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. nVerses Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Chesapeake Utilities during the 3rd quarter worth about $99,000. Spirit of America Management Corp NY lifted its holdings in Chesapeake Utilities by 81.8% during the 2nd quarter. Spirit of America Management Corp NY now owns 1,000 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $106,000 after purchasing an additional 450 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tradewinds Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Chesapeake Utilities by 10.2% in the first quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 1,084 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $116,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.11% of the company's stock.

Chesapeake Utilities Price Performance

NYSE CPK traded up $0.26 on Tuesday, hitting $120.79. 62,290 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 114,970. The company has a current ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. The company has a market cap of $2.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.39 and a beta of 0.61. Chesapeake Utilities Co. has a 1-year low of $83.79 and a 1-year high of $125.34. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $119.47 and a two-hundred day moving average of $112.98.

Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The utilities provider reported $0.86 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.88 by ($0.02). Chesapeake Utilities had a net margin of 13.61% and a return on equity of 9.51%. The company had revenue of $166.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $194.70 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.90 earnings per share. Chesapeake Utilities's revenue for the quarter was up 22.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Chesapeake Utilities Co. will post 5.39 EPS for the current year.

Chesapeake Utilities Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 16th were paid a dividend of $0.64 per share. This represents a $2.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.12%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 16th. Chesapeake Utilities's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 53.78%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Chesapeake Utilities from $118.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, October 7th.

Insider Activity at Chesapeake Utilities

In other Chesapeake Utilities news, Director Paul L. Maddock, Jr. sold 9,634 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.56, for a total value of $1,094,037.04. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 8,363 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $949,702.28. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 2.68% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Chesapeake Utilities Profile

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation operates as an energy delivery company. The company operates through two segments, Regulated Energy and Unregulated Energy. The Regulated Energy segment natural gas distribution operations in central and southern Delaware, Maryland's eastern shore, and Florida; regulated natural gas transmission in the Delmarva Peninsula, Ohio, and Florida; and regulated electric distribution in northeast and northwest Florida.