Sharpepoint LLC Makes New $211,000 Investment in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL)

Sharpepoint LLC bought a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund bought 3,124 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $211,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Virtu Financial LLC raised its holdings in Xcel Energy by 12.0% in the third quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 4,347 shares of the company’s stock valued at $284,000 after acquiring an additional 466 shares in the last quarter. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. increased its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 12.6% in the 3rd quarter. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. now owns 5,984 shares of the company’s stock worth $391,000 after purchasing an additional 668 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,124,000. Synovus Financial Corp lifted its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 17.7% during the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 5,795 shares of the company’s stock worth $378,000 after purchasing an additional 873 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Copley Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Xcel Energy in the third quarter worth about $532,000. 78.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on XEL. Barclays upped their price objective on Xcel Energy from $69.00 to $72.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, March 31st. UBS Group raised their price objective on Xcel Energy from $73.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 20th. 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, Xcel Energy presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $73.00.

Xcel Energy Stock Performance

XEL opened at $70.13 on Friday. Xcel Energy Inc. has a twelve month low of $51.97 and a twelve month high of $73.38. The stock has a market cap of $40.40 billion, a PE ratio of 20.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.39. The business’s 50 day moving average is $69.38 and its 200-day moving average is $67.82. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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, analysts predict that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 earnings per share 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 given a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This is a positive change from Xcel Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. Xcel Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 66.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Xcel Energy

In related news, Director Devin W. Stockfish acquired 2,170 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $68.93 per share, for a total transaction of $149,578.10. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 3,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $207,272.51. The trade was a 259.26 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.