Eversource Energy (NYSE:ES) Upgraded to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Eversource Energy (NYSE:ES) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Monday morning.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Scotiabank cut their target price on Eversource Energy from $56.00 to $55.00 and set a “sector underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Barclays reduced their price objective on Eversource Energy from $72.00 to $69.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on Eversource Energy from $52.00 to $47.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an “underweight” rating and set a $58.00 price target (down previously from $69.00) on shares of Eversource Energy in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Eversource Energy in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $65.78.

Eversource Energy Stock Up 3.9 %

ES stock opened at $58.49 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $60.41 and its 200-day moving average is $60.74. Eversource Energy has a twelve month low of $52.28 and a twelve month high of $69.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.47 billion, a PE ratio of 25.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71.

Eversource Energy (NYSE:ES) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The utilities provider reported $1.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.00 by $0.01. Eversource Energy had a net margin of 6.82% and a return on equity of 10.99%. Sell-side analysts expect that Eversource Energy will post 4.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Eversource Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 4th were paid a dividend of $0.7525 per share. This represents a $3.01 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.15%. This is a positive change from Eversource Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 4th. Eversource Energy’s payout ratio is presently 130.30%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Frederica M. Williams sold 3,092 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.26, for a total transaction of $192,507.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 22,671 shares in the company, valued at $1,411,496.46. The trade was a 12.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, VP Jay S. Buth sold 980 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.99, for a total value of $61,730.20. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 24,374 shares in the company, valued at $1,535,318.26. This trade represents a 3.87 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.41% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. MML Investors Services LLC lifted its stake in Eversource Energy by 39.5% during the third quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 21,435 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,459,000 after purchasing an additional 6,069 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC raised its holdings in shares of Eversource Energy by 15.9% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,095,966 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $74,582,000 after buying an additional 150,535 shares in the last quarter. Bard Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in Eversource Energy by 244.9% in the 3rd quarter. Bard Financial Services Inc. now owns 21,715 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,478,000 after buying an additional 15,419 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Eversource Energy by 32.2% in the third quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 21,358 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,354,000 after buying an additional 5,203 shares in the last quarter. Finally, World Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in Eversource Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $277,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.99% of the company’s stock.

Eversource Energy Company Profile

Eversource Energy, a public utility holding company, engages in the energy delivery business. The company operates through Electric Distribution, Electric Transmission, Natural Gas Distribution, and Water Distribution segments. It is involved in the transmission and distribution of electricity; solar power facilities; and distribution of natural gas.