SM Energy (NYSE:SM) Shares Sold by Los Angeles Capital Management LLC

Los Angeles Capital Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of SM Energy (NYSE:SM - Free Report) by 60.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 25,908 shares of the energy company's stock after selling 39,513 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC's holdings in SM Energy were worth $1,004,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in SM Energy during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in shares of SM Energy by 3,434.5% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,025 shares of the energy company's stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 996 shares in the last quarter. Millburn Ridgefield Corp acquired a new stake in shares of SM Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $55,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of SM Energy by 3,897.2% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 1,439 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 1,403 shares in the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in SM Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $61,000. 94.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on SM Energy from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of SM Energy from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, January 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $53.00 target price (up previously from $51.00) on shares of SM Energy in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of SM Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Susquehanna lowered their price objective on SM Energy from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $51.90.

Insider Activity at SM Energy

In other news, Director Barton R. Brookman, Jr. bought 7,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $32.36 per share, with a total value of $226,520.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 14,666 shares in the company, valued at $474,591.76. The trade was a 91.31 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

SM Energy Trading Down 4.4 %

SM Energy stock traded down $1.26 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $27.60. 2,993,710 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,679,154. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $38.84 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $41.18. The company has a market capitalization of $3.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.13 and a beta of 4.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 3.52. SM Energy has a 52-week low of $26.69 and a 52-week high of $53.26.

SM Energy (NYSE:SM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 19th. The energy company reported $1.91 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.00 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $852.22 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $849.44 million. SM Energy had a net margin of 28.63% and a return on equity of 19.82%. On average, equities research analysts expect that SM Energy will post 8.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

SM Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, January 24th were given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.90%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 24th. SM Energy's payout ratio is 11.98%.

SM Energy Company Profile

SM Energy Company, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, gas, and natural gas liquids in the state of Texas. It has working interests in oil and gas producing wells in the Midland Basin and South Texas. The company was formerly known as St.