68,676 Shares of Spire Inc. $SR Purchased by Ausbil Investment Management Ltd

Key Points

• Ausbil Investment Management purchased 68,676 Spire shares valued at approximately $5.2 million, making the utility stock 2.6% of its portfolio. Institutional investors collectively own 87.36% of Spire.
• Spire reported quarterly revenue of $420.2 million, up 19.2% year over year, and posted an adjusted loss of $0.26 per share that exceeded analyst expectations. The company reaffirmed fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $3.90–$4.10.
• Spire pays an annualized dividend of $3.30 per share, yielding about 4.2%. Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $92.50, compared with a recent share price of $77.81.

Ausbil Investment Management Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Spire Inc. (NYSE:SR - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 68,676 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $5,226,000. Spire comprises 2.6% of Ausbil Investment Management Ltd's portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Ausbil Investment Management Ltd owned about 0.12% of Spire at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Renaissance Technologies LLC purchased a new position in Spire during the 1st quarter valued at about $3,631,000. Congress Asset Management Co. grew its position in shares of Spire by 20.9% in the 3rd quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 87,825 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $6,683,000 after buying an additional 15,189 shares during the period. Hennessy Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Spire by 15.7% during the second quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 60,441 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $4,720,000 after acquiring an additional 8,200 shares in the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP raised its stake in Spire by 104.7% during the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 45,257 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $4,098,000 after buying an additional 23,149 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC bought a new position in shares of Spire in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,490,000. 87.36% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Spire Price Performance

Spire stock opened at $77.81 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $80.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $83.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.60 billion, a PE ratio of 8.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a current ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61. Spire Inc. has a 12-month low of $74.84 and a 12-month high of $95.31.

Spire (NYSE:SR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported ($0.26) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.32) by $0.06. Spire had a return on equity of 8.65% and a net margin of 21.48%.The business had revenue of $420.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $394.62 million. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 19.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.01 earnings per share. Spire has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.900-4.100 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Spire Inc. will post 4 EPS for the current year.

Spire Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, September 11th were paid a dividend of $0.8250 per share. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 11th. Spire's payout ratio is 36.79%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on SR shares. Mizuho started coverage on shares of Spire in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $88.00 price objective on the stock. Huntington initiated coverage on Spire in a research note on Monday, September 14th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $93.00 price objective on the stock. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $102.00 price target on shares of Spire in a report on Monday, September 21st. Scotiabank assumed coverage on Spire in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. They set a "sector perform" rating and a $79.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Spire from a "strong sell" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Spire presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $92.50.

Spire Profile

Spire Inc is a diversified natural gas company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Through its regulated utility operations, the company distributes natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Missouri and Alabama.

Spire's business includes natural gas distribution, gas storage and transportation, and related energy services. Its operations also include natural gas marketing and midstream activities, which support the delivery and management of natural gas for utility and other customers.

The company traces its history to 1857, when it was established as Laclede Gas Light Company.

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