Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Stake Trimmed by Teacher Retirement System of Texas

Teacher Retirement System of Texas cut its position in shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) by 98.3% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 5,218 shares of the company’s stock after selling 295,597 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $352,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy by 49.8% during the fourth quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 41,397 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,770,000 after acquiring an additional 13,763 shares during the period. Enhancing Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Xcel Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $1,047,000. Horizon Investments LLC raised its stake in Xcel Energy by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 10,390 shares of the company’s stock valued at $696,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares during the period. Carlson Capital Management lifted its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy by 25.6% in the fourth quarter. Carlson Capital Management now owns 4,837 shares of the company’s stock valued at $327,000 after purchasing an additional 986 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mystic Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy in the fourth quarter worth $226,000. 78.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Xcel Energy Stock Performance

XEL opened at $70.79 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $68.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $67.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.37. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 12-month low of $51.97 and a 12-month high of $73.38.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 10.65% and a net margin of 14.40%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 earnings per share for the current year.

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 20th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This is an increase from Xcel Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.22%. Xcel Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.28%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Devin W. Stockfish bought 2,170 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $68.93 per share, with a total value of $149,578.10. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 3,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $207,272.51. This represents a 259.26 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

XEL has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. KeyCorp upped their price target on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Xcel Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $69.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 20th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $70.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Xcel Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $72.60.

Xcel Energy 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.