44 Wealth Management LLC Has $606,000 Stock Holdings in Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE)

44 Wealth Management LLC decreased its position in shares of Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE - Free Report) by 48.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,491 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 7,841 shares during the period. 44 Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Sempra Energy were worth $606,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of SRE. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in Sempra Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Sempra Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Synergy Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Sempra Energy in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. TCTC Holdings LLC boosted its stake in Sempra Energy by 265.2% in the fourth quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 336 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 244 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mattson Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Sempra Energy during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Institutional investors own 89.65% of the company's stock.

Sempra Energy Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of Sempra Energy stock traded up $0.73 during trading on Friday, reaching $75.55. 1,972,703 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,869,530. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. Sempra Energy has a twelve month low of $61.90 and a twelve month high of $95.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $49.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.60, a P/E/G ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 0.63. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $75.95 and a 200-day moving average price of $76.95.

Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The utilities provider reported $1.44 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.32 by $0.12. Sempra Energy had a return on equity of 8.55% and a net margin of 22.15%. The company had revenue of $3.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.90 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.34 EPS. Sempra Energy's revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Sempra Energy will post 4.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sempra Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 26th will be issued a $0.645 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 26th. This represents a $2.58 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.42%. Sempra Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 56.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on SRE shares. Citigroup cut their price target on Sempra Energy from $93.00 to $70.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Sempra Energy from $78.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Argus cut shares of Sempra Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 18th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $88.00 price target (up previously from $87.00) on shares of Sempra Energy in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on Sempra Energy from $77.00 to $75.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Sempra Energy currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $80.83.

Insider Buying and Selling at Sempra Energy

In other news, insider Diana L. Day sold 8,015 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.26, for a total value of $595,193.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 16,969 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,260,117.94. The trade was a 32.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Sempra Energy Company Profile

Sempra operates as an energy infrastructure company in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Sempra California, Sempra Texas Utilities, and Sempra Infrastructure. The Sempra California segment provides electric services; and natural gas services to San Diego County.