Raymond James Financial Inc. Makes New Investment in UGI Co. (NYSE:UGI)

Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of UGI Co. (NYSE:UGI - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 241,585 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $6,820,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. owned 0.11% of UGI at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. S.A. Mason LLC purchased a new position in UGI in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of UGI during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new stake in UGI during the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in UGI in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in UGI by 67.1% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,345 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 540 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.34% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at UGI

In related news, insider Michael Sharp purchased 4,806 shares of UGI stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 27th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $33.30 per share, for a total transaction of $160,039.80. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 4,806 shares in the company, valued at approximately $160,039.80. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.73% of the company's stock.

UGI Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of UGI stock traded down $0.12 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $32.92. The company had a trading volume of 1,180,811 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,176,623. The company's 50-day moving average is $32.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $28.17. UGI Co. has a twelve month low of $22.01 and a twelve month high of $34.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The company has a market cap of $7.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.17.

UGI (NYSE:UGI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.37 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.16. UGI had a net margin of 7.73% and a return on equity of 15.19%. Analysts anticipate that UGI Co. will post 3.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UGI Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be given a dividend of $0.375 per share. This represents a $1.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.56%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. UGI's payout ratio is 59.06%.

About UGI

UGI Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, distributes, stores, transports, and markets energy products and related services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through four segments: AmeriGas Propane, UGI International, Midstream & Marketing, and UGI Utilities. It distributes propane to approximately 1.3 million residential, commercial/industrial, motor fuel, agricultural, and wholesale customers through 1,400 propane distribution locations.