Metis Global Partners LLC Grows Position in Xcel Energy Inc. $XEL

Metis Global Partners LLC raised its position in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) by 7.9% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 51,568 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,758 shares during the period. Metis Global Partners LLC’s holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $3,512,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC bought a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $240,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 9.8% during the first quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 61,516 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,390,000 after purchasing an additional 5,497 shares during the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Xcel Energy by 10.1% during the first quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 305,905 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,658,000 after purchasing an additional 27,964 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System grew its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy by 2.5% in the first quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 166,027 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,753,000 after purchasing an additional 4,100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BankPlus Trust Department purchased a new position in Xcel Energy in the 1st quarter worth about $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.38% of the company’s stock.

Xcel Energy Stock Performance

NASDAQ:XEL opened at $80.91 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $47.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 0.38. Xcel Energy Inc. has a twelve month low of $62.58 and a twelve month high of $83.01. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $77.80 and its 200-day moving average price is $72.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.08). Xcel Energy had a net margin of 14.85% and a return on equity of 10.52%. The company had revenue of $3.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.89 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.25 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on XEL shares. Morgan Stanley set a $86.00 price target on Xcel Energy and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $80.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Xcel Energy from $84.00 to $92.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. Evercore ISI started coverage on Xcel Energy in a research report on Monday, October 6th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $92.00 price target for the company. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $83.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $87.29.

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.