Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) Raised to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Sunday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other research analysts have also commented on the company. Mizuho set a $92.00 price target on Xcel Energy and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. BTIG Research set a $92.00 price objective on shares of Xcel Energy in a research report on Friday, October 30th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $91.00 to $86.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $97.00 to $92.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $99.00 price target (down from $101.00) on shares of Xcel Energy in a research note on Tuesday, October 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $90.71.

Xcel Energy Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ XEL opened at $80.17 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $75.01 and a 200-day simple moving average of $78.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $51.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.34. Xcel Energy has a 52 week low of $68.72 and a 52 week high of $84.23.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.39 by $0.13. Xcel Energy had a net margin of 17.94% and a return on equity of 11.10%. The company had revenue of $4.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.26 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.24 EPS. Xcel Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Xcel Energy will post 4.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Xcel Energy

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in XEL. Western Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Xcel Energy by 3.7% during the third quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC now owns 18,988 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,338,000 after buying an additional 686 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 13.2% in the 3rd quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 43,840 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,090,000 after purchasing an additional 5,100 shares during the last quarter. White Pine Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,372,000. Alberta Investment Management Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at $4,017,000. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy by 7.6% in the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 18,858 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,328,000 after purchasing an additional 1,337 shares in the last quarter. 78.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy Inc is a regulated electric and natural gas utility headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Through its operating companies, it generates, purchases, transmits and distributes electricity, and delivers natural gas to residential, commercial and industrial customers.

The company serves customers in eight states: Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin. Its electric system includes a mix of generation resources, supported by transmission and distribution networks.

Xcel Energy traces its roots to Northern States Power Company, founded in 1909.