Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the ten brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $72.30.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on XEL. KeyCorp upped their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Xcel Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $69.00 to $80.00 in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Barclays cut their target price on Xcel Energy from $71.00 to $69.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 20th.

Insider Activity at Xcel Energy

In other Xcel Energy news, Director Devin W. Stockfish acquired 2,170 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $68.93 per share, for a total transaction of $149,578.10. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 3,007 shares in the company, valued at $207,272.51. This represents a 259.26 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Xcel Energy

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 43.6% during the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 20,762,745 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,401,901,000 after buying an additional 6,306,380 shares during the period. FMR LLC boosted its position in Xcel Energy by 118.3% during the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 6,608,044 shares of the company’s stock valued at $446,175,000 after acquiring an additional 3,581,436 shares in the last quarter. Zimmer Partners LP grew its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy by 1,625.7% during the 4th quarter. Zimmer Partners LP now owns 3,667,200 shares of the company’s stock worth $247,609,000 after acquiring an additional 3,454,700 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 236.7% in the 4th quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 4,878,279 shares of the company’s stock worth $329,381,000 after acquiring an additional 3,429,353 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its stake in shares of Xcel Energy by 379.3% in the 4th quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 4,022,085 shares of the company’s stock valued at $271,578,000 after purchasing an additional 3,182,939 shares during the period. 78.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Xcel Energy Stock Performance

Shares of XEL opened at $69.32 on Friday. Xcel Energy has a 12-month low of $51.97 and a 12-month high of $73.38. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The company has a market cap of $39.83 billion, a PE ratio of 20.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.37. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $68.53 and a 200-day moving average price of $67.18.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.87 by ($0.06). Xcel Energy had a net margin of 14.40% and a return on equity of 10.65%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Xcel Energy will post 3.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. This is a boost from Xcel Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.29%. Xcel Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 66.28%.

About Xcel Energy

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.