SM Energy (NYSE:SM) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirteen ratings firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, six have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $50.00.

Several research firms recently commented on SM. Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of SM Energy from $57.00 to $55.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “neutral” rating and set a $53.00 target price (up from $51.00) on shares of SM Energy in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Raymond James lowered their price target on SM Energy from $59.00 to $40.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Truist Financial raised their price objective on SM Energy from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 13th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded SM Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 28th.

SM Energy Stock Performance

Shares of SM stock opened at $27.41 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $3.14 billion, a PE ratio of 4.10 and a beta of 4.14. SM Energy has a 52-week low of $26.66 and a 52-week high of $53.26. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $38.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $40.70. 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 (NYSE:SM) last released 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). The company had revenue of $852.22 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $849.44 million. SM Energy had a return on equity of 19.82% and a net margin of 28.63%. On average, equities analysts expect that SM Energy will post 8.1 EPS for the current year.

SM Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 24th were given a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.92%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 24th. SM Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 11.98%.

Insider Transactions at SM Energy

In related news, Director Barton R. Brookman, Jr. purchased 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $32.36 per share, with a total value of $226,520.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 14,666 shares in the company, valued at $474,591.76. This trade represents a 91.31 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On SM Energy

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of SM Energy by 3,897.2% during the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 1,439 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 1,403 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in SM Energy during the third quarter worth about $311,000. New York State Teachers Retirement System boosted its holdings in SM Energy by 5.8% in the 3rd quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 186,832 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $7,468,000 after purchasing an additional 10,243 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE grew its stake in shares of SM Energy by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 53,704 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $2,147,000 after buying an additional 1,454 shares during the period. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its holdings in shares of SM Energy by 144.6% during the 3rd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 22,357 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $894,000 after buying an additional 13,215 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.56% of the company’s stock.

SM Energy Company Profile

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.