Ossiam Makes New Investment in WEC Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC)

Ossiam acquired a new position in WEC Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 3,010 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $283,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in shares of WEC Energy Group by 3,828.6% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 275 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 268 shares in the last quarter. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in WEC Energy Group in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Hoey Investments Inc. purchased a new position in WEC Energy Group during the fourth quarter valued at $42,000. Human Investing LLC bought a new stake in shares of WEC Energy Group during the 4th quarter valued at $52,000. Finally, Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. grew its position in shares of WEC Energy Group by 140.8% in the 4th quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 590 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 345 shares during the period. 77.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

WEC Energy Group Stock Performance

NYSE:WEC traded down $1.22 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $107.69. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,077,779 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,147,094. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $106.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $100.63. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. The stock has a market cap of $34.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.30, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.44. WEC Energy Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $77.47 and a 12-month high of $111.00.

WEC Energy Group (NYSE:WEC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $2.28 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.50 billion. WEC Energy Group had a net margin of 17.75% and a return on equity of 12.39%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.10 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that WEC Energy Group, Inc. will post 5.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

WEC Energy Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 14th will be given a $0.8975 dividend. This represents a $3.59 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.33%. This is a boost from WEC Energy Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.84. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 14th. WEC Energy Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 73.91%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Gale E. Klappa sold 25,000 shares of WEC Energy Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.62, for a total transaction of $2,715,500.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 274,955 shares in the company, valued at $29,865,612.10. This trade represents a 8.33 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ulice Payne, Jr. sold 1,150 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.17, for a total value of $119,795.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 21,951 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,286,635.67. This trade represents a 4.98 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WEC has been the topic of several research reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of WEC Energy Group from $112.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on WEC Energy Group from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. StockNews.com raised WEC Energy Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Barclays upgraded WEC Energy Group from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and raised their price target for the company from $89.00 to $93.00 in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of WEC Energy Group from an "underweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and upped their price target for the stock from $106.00 to $108.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $104.38.

About WEC Energy Group

WEC Energy Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides regulated natural gas and electricity, and renewable and nonregulated renewable energy services in the United States. It operates through Wisconsin, Illinois, Other States, Electric Transmission, and Non-Utility Energy Infrastructure segments.