Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) Hits New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Friday . The stock traded as high as $73.53 and last traded at $71.72, with a volume of 14031 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $72.14.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

XEL has been the subject of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Xcel Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $69.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Morgan Stanley increased 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 report on Thursday, March 20th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $69.00 to $72.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, March 31st. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $73.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $73.00.

Xcel Energy Stock Down 5.9 %

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 business’s fifty day moving average price is $68.96 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $67.47. The firm has a market cap of $39.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.74, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.39.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share 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 research analysts anticipate that Xcel Energy Inc. 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. This is a positive change from Xcel Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.36%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. Xcel Energy’s payout ratio is 66.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Xcel Energy

In other news, Director Devin W. Stockfish bought 2,170 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $68.93 per share, with a total value of $149,578.10. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $207,272.51. The trade was a 259.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Xcel Energy

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in XEL. Dakota Wealth Management grew its holdings in Xcel Energy by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Dakota Wealth Management now owns 23,130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,562,000 after buying an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC boosted its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 26.0% in the fourth quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 731 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the period. GenTrust LLC grew its stake in shares of 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 last quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV increased its position in Xcel Energy by 23.2% during 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 stake in Xcel Energy by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Integris Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,323 shares of the company’s stock valued at $427,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. 78.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.