Proficio Capital Partners LLC Takes Position in Chesapeake Utilities Co. (NYSE:CPK)

Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Chesapeake Utilities Co. (NYSE:CPK - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 11,528 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,399,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC owned about 0.05% of Chesapeake Utilities at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in shares of Chesapeake Utilities by 2,018.2% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 233 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Chesapeake Utilities by 159.9% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 876 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $106,000 after acquiring an additional 539 shares during the period. KBC Group NV lifted its position in Chesapeake Utilities by 46.2% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,048 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $127,000 after acquiring an additional 331 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in shares of Chesapeake Utilities during the third quarter worth approximately $182,000. Finally, Spirit of America Management Corp NY grew its position in shares of Chesapeake Utilities by 66.7% in the fourth quarter. Spirit of America Management Corp NY now owns 2,500 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $303,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. 83.11% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Chesapeake Utilities Stock Performance

Shares of CPK traded up $1.73 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $125.80. 168,394 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 92,105. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. Chesapeake Utilities Co. has a 52 week low of $98.32 and a 52 week high of $134.20. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $124.34 and its 200-day simple moving average is $123.57. The firm has a market cap of $2.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.52 and a beta of 0.60.

Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The utilities provider reported $1.63 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.67 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $215.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $237.84 million. Chesapeake Utilities had a net margin of 14.16% and a return on equity of 9.08%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.64 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Chesapeake Utilities Co. will post 5.39 EPS for the current year.

Chesapeake Utilities Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a $0.64 dividend. This represents a $2.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.03%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. Chesapeake Utilities's payout ratio is presently 48.58%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com raised Chesapeake Utilities from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 7th.

Chesapeake Utilities Company 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.