NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the seven ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $98.29.

NRG has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. StockNews.com downgraded NRG Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, September 2nd. Guggenheim increased their price target on NRG Energy from $77.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of NRG Energy in a research note on Friday, September 13th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $82.00 target price on the stock. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of NRG Energy from $94.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of NRG Energy from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th.

NRG Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:NRG opened at $95.48 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $90.06 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $83.18. NRG Energy has a 52 week low of $45.29 and a 52 week high of $102.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.99, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.10.

NRG Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 1st were paid a $0.4075 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 1st. This represents a $1.63 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.71%. NRG Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.95%.

Insider Activity

In other NRG Energy news, insider Rasesh M. Patel sold 102,603 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.35, for a total transaction of $8,244,151.05. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 163,680 shares in the company, valued at $13,151,688. This trade represents a 38.53 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.86% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NRG Energy

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in NRG. Fulcrum Equity Management purchased a new stake in NRG Energy in the third quarter worth about $274,000. McIlrath & Eck LLC boosted its stake in shares of NRG Energy by 4.5% during the third quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 2,630 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $240,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Fortem Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in NRG Energy by 4.8% during the third quarter. Fortem Financial Group LLC now owns 13,803 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,257,000 after buying an additional 638 shares during the period. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in NRG Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $259,000. Finally, Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in NRG Energy during the third quarter worth $129,000. Institutional investors own 97.72% of the company’s stock.

NRG Energy Company Profile

NRG Energy, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy and home services company in the United States and Canada. It operates through Texas; East; West/Services/Other; Vivint Smart Home; and Corporate Activities segments. The company produces and sells electricity generated using coal, oil, solar, and battery storage; natural gas; and a cloud-based home platform, including hardware, software, sales, installation, customer service, technical support, and professional monitoring solutions.