Evercore ISI Upgrades Entergy (NYSE:ETR) to "Hold"

Key Points

• Evercore ISI has upgraded Entergy (NYSE:ETR) to a "hold" rating, reflecting a shift in the analysts' outlook for the stock.
• Currently, Entergy holds a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" among analysts, with an average price target of $93.00.
• Institutional ownership of Entergy is significant, with 88.07% of the stock being held by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Entergy (NYSE:ETR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Evercore ISI to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Mizuho set a $97.00 price target on Entergy and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Entergy from $102.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Entergy from $86.00 to $85.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 25th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Entergy in a research report on Saturday, September 27th. Finally, Barclays set a $100.00 target price on Entergy and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $93.00.

Entergy Stock Performance

Shares of ETR opened at $95.90 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $90.09 and a two-hundred day moving average of $85.45. The stock has a market cap of $42.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.62. Entergy has a one year low of $64.38 and a one year high of $98.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a current ratio of 0.80.

Entergy (NYSE:ETR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The utilities provider reported $1.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $3.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.11 billion. Entergy had a return on equity of 11.52% and a net margin of 14.35%.During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.92 earnings per share. Entergy has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.750-3.95 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Entergy will post 3.88 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Haley Fisackerly sold 4,463 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.50, for a total value of $403,901.50. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 3,318 shares in the company, valued at $300,279. This represents a 57.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.47% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Entergy

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Mattson Financial Services LLC increased its stake in Entergy by 100.0% in the first quarter. Mattson Financial Services LLC now owns 300 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. acquired a new position in Entergy in the first quarter valued at $28,000. Atwood & Palmer Inc. increased its stake in Entergy by 135.7% in the second quarter. Atwood & Palmer Inc. now owns 330 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Capital A Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Entergy by 5,466.7% in the second quarter. Capital A Wealth Management LLC now owns 334 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 328 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GoalVest Advisory LLC increased its stake in Entergy by 5,733.3% in the second quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 350 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 344 shares during the last quarter. 88.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Entergy

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.

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