National Pension Service Cuts Position in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL)

National Pension Service lessened its position in shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) by 55.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 617,660 shares of the company’s stock after selling 753,438 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service’s holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $41,704,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy by 566.3% in the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 593 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 504 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.38% of the company’s stock.

Xcel Energy Trading Up 1.9 %

Shares of NASDAQ XEL opened at $72.10 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $67.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $66.07. The firm has a market cap of $41.40 billion, a PE ratio of 20.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.43. Xcel Energy Inc. has a twelve month low of $46.79 and a twelve month high of $73.38.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.06). Xcel Energy had a net margin of 14.40% and a return on equity of 10.65%. Analysts expect that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This is a positive change from Xcel Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.16%. Xcel Energy’s payout ratio is 63.66%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

XEL has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $72.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 22nd. KeyCorp lifted their target price on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Xcel Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $69.00 to $80.00 in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Barclays decreased their price target on Xcel Energy from $71.00 to $69.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $69.91.

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.