Mizuho Securities USA LLC grew its position in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Free Report) by 50.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 54,425 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 18,274 shares during the period. Mizuho Securities USA LLC's holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $3,675,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Fairway Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Xcel Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. MCF Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Xcel Energy by 566.3% in the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 593 shares of the company's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 504 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Financial Corp IN acquired a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy during the fourth quarter valued at about $46,000. 78.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Xcel Energy Stock Performance
Shares of NASDAQ XEL traded up $0.40 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $69.32. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,870,700 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,308,224. The firm has a market capitalization of $39.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $68.47 and a 200 day moving average price of $67.16. Xcel Energy Inc. has a one year low of $51.97 and a one year high of $73.38.
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 net margin of 14.40% and a return on equity of 10.65%. On average, research analysts forecast that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Xcel Energy Increases Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.29%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This is a positive change from Xcel Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. Xcel Energy's payout ratio is presently 66.28%.
Insider Activity
In other news, Director Devin W. Stockfish acquired 2,170 shares of Xcel Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was bought at an average price of $68.93 per share, with a total value of $149,578.10. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 3,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $207,272.51. The trade was a 259.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on XEL shares. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $70.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Xcel Energy from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $69.00 to $80.00 in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, March 20th. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their target price on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $72.30.
Read Our Latest Research Report on XEL
Xcel Energy Profile
(
Free Report)
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.
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