Aberdeen Group plc Buys 4,453 Shares of Xcel Energy Inc. $XEL

Key Points

• Aberdeen Group plc increased its stake in Xcel Energy Inc. by 2.3%, purchasing an additional 4,453 shares, bringing its total holdings to 194,849 shares valued at approximately $13.7 million.
• Analyst ratings for Xcel Energy show a consensus of "Moderate Buy" with a target price range from $73.00 to $78.00, indicating confidence in the stock's future performance.
• Xcel Energy declared a quarterly dividend of $0.57 per share, reflecting an annual yield of 3.2% and a payout ratio of 63.16%.

Aberdeen Group plc raised its stake in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Free Report) by 2.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 194,849 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 4,453 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc's holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $13,723,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Accent Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. BankPlus Trust Department bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $34,000. Rossby Financial LCC bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $50,000. Alpine Bank Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $53,000. Finally, Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $52,000. Institutional investors own 78.38% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on XEL shares. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $78.00 price target on shares of Xcel Energy and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, August 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $78.00 to $77.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $76.00.

Xcel Energy Trading Up 0.4%

NASDAQ:XEL opened at $72.21 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $70.00 and a 200-day moving average price of $69.65. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 12 month low of $59.60 and a 12 month high of $74.57. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48. The stock has a market cap of $42.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.00, a P/E/G ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.34.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.09. Xcel Energy had a net margin of 14.85% and a return on equity of 10.52%. The firm had revenue of $3.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.31 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.54 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 EPS for the current year.

Xcel Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 20th. Investors of record on Monday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 15th. Xcel Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.16%.

Xcel Energy Profile

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding XEL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.