Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Shares Sold by Asset Dedication LLC

Asset Dedication LLC lowered its position in shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Free Report) by 92.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 500 shares of the company's stock after selling 5,988 shares during the quarter. Asset Dedication LLC's holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $34,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Xcel Energy during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. MCF Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Xcel Energy by 566.3% during the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 593 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 504 shares during the period. West Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Finally, First Financial Corp IN acquired a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $46,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.38% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on XEL. KeyCorp raised 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. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $72.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Xcel Energy from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their target price for the company from $71.00 to $76.00 in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Xcel Energy from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $70.00 to $72.00 in a report on Monday, January 13th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $71.00 to $69.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $69.64.

Xcel Energy Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:XEL traded up $0.43 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $67.63. The company had a trading volume of 1,267,463 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,557,181. Xcel Energy Inc. has a twelve month low of $46.79 and a twelve month high of $73.38. The stock has a market cap of $38.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $67.85 and its 200-day simple moving average is $64.61.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The company reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.26 by ($0.01). Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.76% and a net margin of 13.67%. The company had revenue of $3.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.93 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.23 EPS. The firm's revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Xcel Energy Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 6th were issued a dividend of $0.5475 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, January 6th. This represents a $2.19 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.24%. Xcel Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently 64.99%.

Xcel Energy Company 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.