Signet Financial Management LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Chesapeake Energy Co. (NASDAQ:CHK)

Signet Financial Management LLC grew its holdings in Chesapeake Energy Co. (NASDAQ:CHK) by 38.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,290 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,196 shares during the period. Signet Financial Management LLC’s holdings in Chesapeake Energy were worth $381,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Principal Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Chesapeake Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Gladius Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Chesapeake Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new position in shares of Chesapeake Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $40,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Chesapeake Energy by 1,207.7% in the 4th quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 680 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 628 shares during the period. Finally, Allworth Financial LP lifted its stake in shares of Chesapeake Energy by 160.7% in the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 730 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 450 shares during the period. 97.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Chesapeake Energy Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CHK opened at $82.32 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.33, a current ratio of 2.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Chesapeake Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $72.84 and a 52 week high of $93.58. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $88.22 and a 200-day simple moving average of $83.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.09 and a beta of 0.50.

Chesapeake Energy (NASDAQ:CHK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 30th. The company reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.64 by ($0.08). Chesapeake Energy had a net margin of 16.42% and a return on equity of 4.87%. The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $674.99 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.87 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Chesapeake Energy Co. will post 0.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Chesapeake Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 16th were issued a $0.715 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 15th. This represents a $2.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.47%. This is a positive change from Chesapeake Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. Chesapeake Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Chesapeake Energy from $92.00 to $94.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. KeyCorp started coverage on shares of Chesapeake Energy in a research report on Thursday. They set a “sector weight” rating for the company. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Chesapeake Energy from $101.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 13th. Scotiabank upped their price objective on shares of Chesapeake Energy from $92.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 11th. Finally, Stephens upped their price objective on shares of Chesapeake Energy from $116.00 to $117.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $106.67.

Chesapeake Energy Profile

Chesapeake Energy Corporation operates as an independent exploration and production company in the United States. It engages in acquisition, exploration, and development of properties to produce oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids from underground reservoirs. The company holds interests in natural gas resource plays in the Marcellus Shale in the northern Appalachian Basin in Pennsylvania and the Haynesville/Bossier Shales in northwestern Louisiana.