Spire (NYSE:SR) Sets New 12-Month High - Should You Buy?

Spire Inc. (NYSE:SR - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high on Friday . The company traded as high as $73.96 and last traded at $73.67, with a volume of 58869 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $73.37.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on SR shares. Mizuho raised Spire from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and raised their price target for the company from $65.00 to $76.00 in a report on Friday, December 20th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Spire from $77.00 to $75.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Spire from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Spire from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott started coverage on Spire in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $73.00 target price on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $71.50.

Spire Trading Up 1.1 %

The company has a market capitalization of $4.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 0.50 and a quick ratio of 0.30. The business's 50-day moving average price is $69.13 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $67.32.

Spire (NYSE:SR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.42 by ($0.08). Spire had a return on equity of 7.88% and a net margin of 9.70%. Research analysts predict that Spire Inc. will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Spire Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 11th will be given a $0.785 dividend. This represents a $3.14 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.20%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 11th. Spire's payout ratio is presently 76.03%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Treasurer Adam W. Woodard sold 1,150 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.47, for a total value of $77,590.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the treasurer now owns 2,587 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $174,544.89. This represents a 30.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Paul D. Koonce purchased 1,000 shares of Spire stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The stock was bought at an average price of $73.61 per share, for a total transaction of $73,610.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 2,425 shares in the company, valued at $178,504.25. This represents a 70.18 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 2.33% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Spire

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Blair William & Co. IL increased its holdings in Spire by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 6,027 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $409,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in Spire by 5.2% during the 3rd quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 3,572 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $240,000 after buying an additional 177 shares during the period. Creative Planning grew its position in shares of Spire by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 7,126 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $480,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Missouri Trust & Investment Co increased its stake in shares of Spire by 28.6% in the third quarter. Missouri Trust & Investment Co now owns 900 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL raised its position in shares of Spire by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 9,050 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $614,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.36% of the company's stock.

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.