Danske Bank A S Makes New $45.31 Million Investment in Sempra Energy $SRE

Key Points

• Danske Bank A/S bought a new stake of 503,561 shares in Sempra Energy valued at approximately $45.31 million, representing about 0.08% ownership per its latest SEC filing.
• Insider activity was mixed: Director Jennifer M. Kirk acquired 1,000 shares at $93.44 while CAO Dyan Z. Wold sold 1,539 shares at $95.38, and insiders net acquired 6,192 shares over the past three months.
• Sempra raised its quarterly dividend to $0.6575 (annualized $2.63), a yield of about 2.8%, with a dividend payout ratio near 93.5%.

Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in shares of Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE - Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 503,561 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $45,310,000. Danske Bank A S owned approximately 0.08% of Sempra Energy as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in SRE. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Sempra Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Activest Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of Sempra Energy by 74.6% in the third quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 391 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. raised its holdings in shares of Sempra Energy by 117.4% in the third quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 424 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 229 shares in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Sempra Energy in the third quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Motco lifted its stake in Sempra Energy by 1,945.8% in the third quarter. Motco now owns 491 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 467 shares during the period. 89.65% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Sempra Energy

In other Sempra Energy news, Director Jennifer M. Kirk acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $93.44 per share, with a total value of $93,440.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 1,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $93,440. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Dyan Z. Wold sold 1,539 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.38, for a total value of $146,789.82. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,633 shares in the company, valued at approximately $441,895.54. This trade represents a 24.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have acquired 6,192 shares of company stock worth $576,979. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Sempra Energy Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of Sempra Energy stock opened at $95.06 on Thursday. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $91.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $89.91. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. Sempra Energy has a 52-week low of $61.90 and a 52-week high of $97.44. The company has a market cap of $62.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.44, a PEG ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 0.73.

Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The utilities provider reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.12 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $3.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.82 billion. Sempra Energy had a net margin of 13.27% and a return on equity of 8.22%. Sempra Energy's revenue for the quarter was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.50 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Sempra Energy will post 4.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sempra Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.6575 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 19th. This represents a $2.63 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. This is a boost from Sempra Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. Sempra Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 93.48%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on SRE shares. Barclays set a $95.00 target price on shares of Sempra Energy and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Argus raised shares of Sempra Energy from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $100.00 target price (up from $96.00) on shares of Sempra Energy in a report on Friday, March 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Sempra Energy from $98.00 to $106.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Sempra Energy in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $100.55.

Sempra Energy Company Profile

Sempra Energy is a San Diego–based energy infrastructure company that develops, owns and operates businesses delivering electricity and natural gas. Its operations include regulated utility services that provide electric and gas distribution to residential, commercial and industrial customers, as well as non‑regulated infrastructure businesses that develop and manage large-scale energy assets.

The company's product and service portfolio spans electricity and natural gas delivery, transmission and storage, liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, power generation and electric transmission projects.

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