Spire (NYSE:SR) Upgraded at StockNews.com

Spire (NYSE:SR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued on Thursday.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on SR. Bank of America began coverage on Spire in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $70.00 price objective on the stock. Janney Montgomery Scott initiated coverage on shares of Spire in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $73.00 target price for the company. Mizuho boosted their target price on Spire from $76.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Spire from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH upgraded shares of Spire to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 17th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $75.64.

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Spire Price Performance

Shares of SR stock traded up $0.84 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $74.57. The company had a trading volume of 136,103 shares, compared to its average volume of 382,977. Spire has a 12-month low of $57.27 and a 12-month high of $79.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 0.50. The company has a market capitalization of $4.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.01, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.56. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $75.09 and a 200-day moving average of $70.07.

Spire (NYSE:SR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.42 by ($0.08). Spire had a return on equity of 7.88% and a net margin of 9.70%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Spire will post 4.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Spire

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Spire in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in Spire by 87.2% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 438 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new stake in Spire in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Spire in the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC raised its position in Spire by 431.4% in the 4th quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 627 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 509 shares during the last quarter. 87.36% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Spire Company Profile

Spire Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the purchase, retail distribution, and sale of natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and other end-users of natural gas in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Gas Utility, Gas Marketing, and Midstream. It is also involved in the marketing of natural gas and related services; and transportation and storage of natural gas.