Sigma Planning Corp Sells 5,465 Shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL)

Sigma Planning Corp trimmed its position in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) by 29.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 13,409 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,465 shares during the quarter. Sigma Planning Corp’s holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $876,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in XEL. TruNorth Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Xcel Energy during the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. American National Bank bought a new stake in Xcel Energy during the second quarter worth approximately $32,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC bought a new stake in Xcel Energy during the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Kimelman & Baird LLC bought a new stake in Xcel Energy during the second quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC bought a new stake in Xcel Energy during the second quarter worth approximately $37,000. 78.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Argus raised Xcel Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $68.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 26th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Xcel Energy from $63.00 to $66.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Xcel Energy from $68.00 to $73.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. Jefferies Financial Group raised Xcel Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the company from $71.00 to $76.00 in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on Xcel Energy from $57.00 to $67.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $66.38.

Xcel Energy Stock Performance

Shares of XEL stock opened at $68.65 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $64.41 and its 200-day simple moving average is $58.94. The company has a market cap of $39.42 billion, a PE ratio of 20.37, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.38. 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 $46.79 and a 12-month high of $69.35.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The company reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.26 by ($0.01). Xcel Energy had a net margin of 13.67% and a return on equity of 10.76%. The firm had revenue of $3.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.93 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.23 earnings per share. Xcel Energy’s revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.