Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) Given New $73.00 Price Target at UBS Group

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) had its price target upped by UBS Group from $70.00 to $73.00 in a research note released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on XEL. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $71.00 to $69.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Xcel Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the company from $69.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Xcel Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $72.30.

Xcel Energy Price Performance

XEL stock opened at $69.11 on Friday. Xcel Energy has a 1 year low of $51.58 and a 1 year high of $73.38. The company has a market cap of $39.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.09, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.37. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $68.21 and a 200 day moving average of $67.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.82.

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

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 20th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.30%. This is a boost from Xcel Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. Xcel Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 66.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Devin W. Stockfish bought 2,170 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of $68.93 per share, for a total transaction of $149,578.10. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 3,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $207,272.51. This trade represents a 259.26 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Xcel Energy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Dakota Wealth Management raised its position in Xcel Energy by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Dakota Wealth Management now owns 23,130 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,562,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the period. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its position in Xcel Energy by 26.0% in the fourth quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 731 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the period. GenTrust LLC raised its position in Xcel Energy by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. GenTrust LLC now owns 3,602 shares of the company’s stock worth $243,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares during the period. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV raised its position in Xcel Energy by 23.2% in the fourth quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 827 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares during the period. Finally, Integris Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Xcel Energy by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Integris Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,323 shares of the company’s stock worth $427,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.38% of the company’s stock.

Xcel Energy Company 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.