Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Stake Raised by Dean Capital Management

Dean Capital Management grew its stake in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Free Report) by 18.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 27,270 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 4,272 shares during the period. Dean Capital Management's holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $1,841,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Dakota Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Dakota Wealth Management now owns 23,130 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,562,000 after buying an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its stake in Xcel Energy by 26.0% during the 4th quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 731 shares of the company's stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. GenTrust LLC lifted its position in Xcel Energy by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. GenTrust LLC now owns 3,602 shares of the company's stock worth $243,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares during the period. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV grew its stake in shares of Xcel Energy by 23.2% in the 4th quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 827 shares of the company's stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Integris Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Integris Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,323 shares of the company's stock valued at $427,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. 78.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on XEL. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $69.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $78.00 price objective on shares of Xcel Energy and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. StockNews.com upgraded Xcel Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Evercore ISI raised their price target on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $79.00 price objective on Xcel Energy and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Xcel Energy currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $76.00.

Xcel Energy Price Performance

Shares of XEL traded up $0.39 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $70.56. 2,479,332 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,563,184. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 52-week low of $51.97 and a 52-week high of $73.38. The company has a market cap of $40.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.51, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $69.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $68.53.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $0.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.95 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $3.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.93 billion. Xcel Energy had a net margin of 14.40% and a return on equity of 10.65%. The firm's revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.88 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, April 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. This is a positive change from Xcel Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. Xcel Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 67.06%.

Insider Transactions at Xcel Energy

In other Xcel Energy news, Director Devin W. Stockfish purchased 2,170 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $68.93 per share, with a total value of $149,578.10. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 3,007 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $207,272.51. This trade represents a 259.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

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.