Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Receives $62.92 Average PT from Analysts

Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twelve ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $62.92.

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on XEL shares. Argus raised shares of Xcel Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $68.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, August 26th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $62.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, August 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd.

Xcel Energy Stock Performance

NASDAQ XEL opened at $63.85 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.86. Xcel Energy has a 1 year low of $46.79 and a 1 year high of $64.25. The company has a market capitalization of $35.48 billion, a PE ratio of 19.17, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a fifty day moving average of $58.32 and a two-hundred day moving average of $55.39.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $0.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.57 by ($0.03). Xcel Energy had a net margin of 13.46% and a return on equity of 10.94%. The company had revenue of $3.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.29 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.52 EPS. The business’s revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Xcel Energy will post 3.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, October 20th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.548 per share. This is a boost from Xcel Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. This represents a $2.19 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.43%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. Xcel Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 65.77%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Xcel Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $896,000. ProShare Advisors LLC grew its position in Xcel Energy by 23.2% during the first quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 643,986 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,614,000 after buying an additional 121,118 shares during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH grew its position in Xcel Energy by 7.5% during the fourth quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 419,106 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,947,000 after buying an additional 29,307 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. grew its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 2.4% in the first quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 1,625,530 shares of the company’s stock valued at $87,372,000 after purchasing an additional 38,653 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Focus Financial Network Inc. ADV acquired a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $9,120,000. 78.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.