Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Grows Stock Holdings in Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR)

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR) by 97.9% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,182,168 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 584,780 shares during the quarter. Entergy makes up 1.7% of Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest position. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Entergy were worth $89,632,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Entergy during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Cetera Trust Company N.A purchased a new stake in Entergy during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its position in shares of Entergy by 423.8% during the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 220 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 178 shares during the last quarter. IFS Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Entergy in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Ulland Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Entergy by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Ulland Investment Advisors LLC now owns 400 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. 88.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Entergy Trading Down 0.5 %

Shares of ETR opened at $82.37 on Monday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $77.68 and its 200-day simple moving average is $69.74. The company has a market cap of $35.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.07, a P/E/G ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.77. Entergy Corporation has a twelve month low of $48.08 and a twelve month high of $84.26.

Entergy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.91%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. Entergy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 58.47%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ETR has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Entergy from $68.50 to $76.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Morgan Stanley upgraded Entergy from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $58.00 to $75.00 in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on Entergy from $68.50 to $70.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 14th. KeyCorp cut Entergy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Entergy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, December 29th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $79.81.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Haley Fisackerly sold 8,268 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.52, for a total transaction of $616,090.02. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 4,032 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $300,444.48. The trade was a 67.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Deanna D. Rodriguez sold 6,088 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.94, for a total transaction of $450,146.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,952 shares in the company, valued at $292,210.88. This represents a 60.64 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.39% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Entergy Profile

Entergy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and retail distribution of electricity in the United States. It generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, including the City of New Orleans; and distributes natural gas.