Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Shares Purchased by Dean Investment Associates LLC

Dean Investment Associates LLC raised its stake in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Free Report) by 5.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 138,295 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 7,723 shares during the period. Xcel Energy makes up about 1.3% of Dean Investment Associates LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest holding. Dean Investment Associates LLC's holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $9,338,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. FMR LLC lifted its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 118.3% in the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 6,608,044 shares of the company's stock valued at $446,175,000 after acquiring an additional 3,581,436 shares in the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA lifted its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy by 236.7% in the fourth quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 4,878,279 shares of the company's stock valued at $329,381,000 after purchasing an additional 3,429,353 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 15.9% in the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 17,613,239 shares of the company's stock worth $1,189,246,000 after buying an additional 2,422,483 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy in the fourth quarter worth $83,653,000. Finally, Reaves W H & Co. Inc. raised its position in Xcel Energy by 440.2% during the fourth quarter. Reaves W H & Co. Inc. now owns 1,455,927 shares of the company's stock valued at $98,304,000 after buying an additional 1,186,427 shares during the period. 78.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on XEL shares. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Xcel Energy from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $73.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Xcel Energy has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $73.10.

Xcel Energy Stock Performance

Xcel Energy stock traded up $2.23 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $71.20. 2,488,376 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,590,500. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $69.41 and a 200 day moving average of $67.88. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 12 month low of $51.97 and a 12 month high of $73.38. The firm has a market cap of $41.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.71, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.39.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share 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%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 earnings per share for the current year.

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, April 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were issued a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. This is an increase from Xcel Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.20%. Xcel Energy's dividend payout ratio is 66.28%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Xcel Energy news, Director Devin W. Stockfish purchased 2,170 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $68.93 per share, for a total transaction of $149,578.10. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 3,007 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $207,272.51. This represents a 259.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Xcel Energy 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.