AQR Capital Management LLC Sells 623,660 Shares of Xcel Energy Inc. $XEL

Key Points

• AQR Capital Management LLC has reduced its holdings in Xcel Energy by 27.3%, selling 623,660 shares and now owns approximately 1,661,486 shares worth $117.6 million.
• Xcel Energy recently reported quarterly earnings of $0.75 EPS, exceeding analysts' expectations of $0.66, with a revenue of $3.29 billion, which was slightly below expectations.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.57 per share, representing an annualized yield of 3.2% with a current payout ratio of 63.16%.

AQR Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Free Report) by 27.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,661,486 shares of the company's stock after selling 623,660 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC owned 0.29% of Xcel Energy worth $117,617,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in XEL. Accent Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. BankPlus Trust Department purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy in the 1st quarter worth about $34,000. Rossby Financial LCC purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy in the 1st quarter worth about $50,000. Alpine Bank Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy in the 1st quarter worth about $53,000. Finally, Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in Xcel Energy by 36.9% in the 1st quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 861 shares of the company's stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 232 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.38% of the company's stock.

Xcel Energy Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:XEL traded up $0.27 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $72.02. 5,425,511 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,685,787. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.59 billion, a PE ratio of 19.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.35. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $71.56 and its 200-day simple moving average is $70.14. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 12-month low of $62.12 and a 12-month high of $74.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.85.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $3.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.31 billion. Xcel Energy had a net margin of 14.85% and a return on equity of 10.52%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.54 earnings per share. Xcel Energy has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.750-3.850 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 EPS for the current year.

Xcel Energy Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Xcel Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, August 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Xcel Energy in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $76.80.

About Xcel Energy

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.