Diversified Energy (NYSE:DEC) Given New $20.00 Price Target at Truist Financial

Key Points

• Truist cut its price target on Diversified Energy from $22.00 to $20.00 but kept a "buy" rating, implying about a 21.8% upside from the current price.
• Analyst consensus is a "Moderate Buy" (six Buys, two Holds) with an average price target of $21.40, and several firms have recently adjusted their targets and ratings both up and down.
• Insider activity and institutional flows are mixed: Director Randall S. Wade sold 2.1M shares at ~$13.28 in January, while large funds (e.g., EIG, Ameriprise, Jupiter) have built sizable stakes; DEC trades around $16.42 with a $1.19B market cap and a P/E of ~11.2.

Diversified Energy (NYSE:DEC - Get Free Report) had its target price cut by analysts at Truist Financial from $22.00 to $20.00 in a research note issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the stock. Truist Financial's target price points to a potential upside of 21.80% from the stock's current price.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. KeyCorp raised their price objective on Diversified Energy from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Diversified Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. Zacks Research raised shares of Diversified Energy from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Diversified Energy from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Diversified Energy from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Diversified Energy presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $21.40.

Diversified Energy Stock Down 0.8%

DEC opened at $16.42 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $1.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.19 and a beta of -0.23. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $14.72 and its 200 day simple moving average is $14.17. Diversified Energy has a 52 week low of $10.54 and a 52 week high of $18.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.73.

Diversified Energy (NYSE:DEC - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The company reported $2.28 earnings per share for the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Diversified Energy will post 0.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Diversified Energy

In related news, Director Randall S. Wade sold 2,100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.28, for a total value of $27,888,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 7,501,585 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $99,621,048.80. This represents a 21.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Institutional Trading of Diversified Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. EIG Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Diversified Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $139,031,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Diversified Energy in the second quarter valued at $53,894,000. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Diversified Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $46,334,000. Man Group plc acquired a new stake in shares of Diversified Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $27,463,000. Finally, Artemis Investment Management LLP increased its holdings in shares of Diversified Energy by 114.2% in the 4th quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP now owns 2,595,577 shares of the company's stock worth $37,555,000 after acquiring an additional 1,384,073 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.51% of the company's stock.

Diversified Energy Company Profile

Diversified Energy Company PLC NYSE: DEC is an independent oil and natural gas producer focused on the acquisition and optimization of legacy onshore assets in the United States. The company’s portfolio spans thousands of producing wells and extensive leasehold positions across core regions such as Appalachia, the Permian Basin and the Mid-Continent. By targeting mature properties, Diversified Energy seeks to enhance long-term recovery through operational efficiencies and capital discipline.

The company’s business model centers on fee-based infrastructure and midstream services that provide stable and predictable cash flows.

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