Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Sells 3,272 Shares of SM Energy (NYSE:SM)

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank reduced its position in SM Energy (NYSE:SM) by 9.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 30,830 shares of the energy company’s stock after selling 3,272 shares during the quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank’s holdings in SM Energy were worth $1,195,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Millburn Ridgefield Corp bought a new position in shares of SM Energy in the third quarter worth about $55,000. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in SM Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $61,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of SM Energy during the third quarter worth approximately $83,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of SM Energy by 51.0% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 2,179 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $84,000 after acquiring an additional 736 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in shares of SM Energy by 16.7% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,321 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $133,000 after purchasing an additional 476 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.56% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on SM. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on SM Energy from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. Raymond James decreased their price objective on SM Energy from $59.00 to $40.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 10th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $57.00 target price on shares of SM Energy in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of SM Energy from $54.00 to $41.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 13th. Finally, Williams Trading set a $41.00 price objective on shares of SM Energy in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.00.

SM Energy Trading Up 2.9 %

NYSE:SM opened at $31.18 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $36.50 and a 200 day moving average of $39.94. The company has a quick ratio of 3.52, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. SM Energy has a 52 week low of $26.66 and a 52 week high of $53.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.67 and a beta of 4.14.

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 19th. The energy company reported $1.91 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.00 by ($0.09). SM Energy had a net margin of 28.63% and a return on equity of 19.82%. The business had revenue of $852.22 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $849.44 million. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that SM Energy will post 8.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

SM Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 24th were paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 24th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.57%. SM Energy’s payout ratio is 11.98%.

Insider Transactions at SM Energy

In related news, Director Barton R. Brookman, Jr. acquired 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $32.36 per share, for a total transaction of $226,520.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 14,666 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $474,591.76. This represents a 91.31 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

About SM Energy

SM Energy Company, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, gas, and natural gas liquids in the state of Texas. It has working interests in oil and gas producing wells in the Midland Basin and South Texas. The company was formerly known as St.