Renaissance Technologies LLC Acquires New Shares in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL)

Renaissance Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 186,900 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,619,000.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its stake in Xcel Energy by 191.3% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 228,242 shares of the company's stock worth $15,411,000 after purchasing an additional 149,898 shares in the last quarter. Shelton Capital Management increased its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 10.1% in the 4th quarter. Shelton Capital Management now owns 80,198 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,415,000 after acquiring an additional 7,370 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in Xcel Energy by 9.7% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 5,678,448 shares of the company's stock worth $383,409,000 after acquiring an additional 504,143 shares during the last quarter. Polymer Capital Management US LLC purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $7,223,000. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Xcel Energy by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 277,941 shares of the company's stock worth $18,513,000 after purchasing an additional 5,180 shares during the last quarter. 78.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Devin W. Stockfish acquired 2,170 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $68.93 per share, with a total value of $149,578.10. Following the transaction, the director now owns 3,007 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $207,272.51. This trade represents a 259.26 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Xcel Energy Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ XEL traded up $1.03 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $70.13. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,784,548 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,589,283. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 1-year low of $51.97 and a 1-year high of $73.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.93. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $69.38 and a two-hundred day moving average of $67.80.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.06). Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.65% and a net margin of 14.40%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 20th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.25%. This is a positive change from Xcel Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. Xcel Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 66.28%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on XEL. UBS Group raised their target price on Xcel Energy from $73.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $69.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, March 31st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $73.00.

Xcel Energy Company Profile

Xcel Energy Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, purchasing, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity. It operates through Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility, and All Other segments. The company generates electricity through wind, nuclear, hydroelectric, biomass, and solar energy sources, as well as coal, natural gas, oil, wood, and refuse-derived fuels.