Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK) Price Target Raised to $125.00 at Barclays

Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK - Get Free Report) had its price target increased by analysts at Barclays from $120.00 to $125.00 in a report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "equal weight" rating on the utilities provider's stock. Barclays's price objective points to a potential downside of 5.50% from the company's current price.

Several other analysts have also commented on CPK. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH upgraded shares of Chesapeake Utilities to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 3rd. StockNews.com raised Chesapeake Utilities from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $123.00.

Chesapeake Utilities Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CPK traded down $1.30 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $132.27. 95,489 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 103,294. Chesapeake Utilities has a fifty-two week low of $102.64 and a fifty-two week high of $136.73. The firm has a market cap of $3.04 billion, a PE ratio of 26.83 and a beta of 0.66. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $128.37 and a 200-day simple moving average of $125.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.38 and a quick ratio of 0.32.

Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The utilities provider reported $1.63 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.67 by ($0.04). Chesapeake Utilities had a net margin of 14.16% and a return on equity of 9.08%. The firm had revenue of $215.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $237.84 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.64 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Chesapeake Utilities will post 5.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chesapeake Utilities

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Spire Wealth Management purchased a new position in Chesapeake Utilities during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Chesapeake Utilities by 587.1% during the fourth quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 213 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in Chesapeake Utilities by 2,018.2% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 233 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 222 shares during the period. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Chesapeake Utilities during the first quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Byrne Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Chesapeake Utilities by 114.3% during the 1st quarter. Byrne Asset Management LLC now owns 270 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 144 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.11% of the company's stock.

Chesapeake Utilities Company Profile

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation operates as an energy delivery company. The company operates through two segments, Regulated Energy and Unregulated Energy. The Regulated Energy segment natural gas distribution operations in central and southern Delaware, Maryland's eastern shore, and Florida; regulated natural gas transmission in the Delmarva Peninsula, Ohio, and Florida; and regulated electric distribution in northeast and northwest Florida.