Entropy Technologies LP Invests $554,000 in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL)

Key Points

• Entropy Technologies LP has invested $554,000 in Xcel Energy by acquiring 7,829 shares, highlighting increased institutional interest in the company.
• Xcel Energy's stock has recently seen updates from analysts, with price targets raised by multiple firms; the average consensus is $76.00 with a rating of "Moderate Buy."
• The company disclosed a quarterly dividend of $0.57 per share, reflecting a 3.1% dividend yield, with a payout ratio of 63.16%.

Entropy Technologies LP bought a new position in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 7,829 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $554,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. 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. 78.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Xcel Energy Stock Performance

NASDAQ XEL traded down $0.46 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $71.93. 7,792,732 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,662,587. The business's fifty day moving average price is $69.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $69.54. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $42.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.34. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 52 week low of $59.04 and a 52 week high of $74.57.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $3.29 billion during 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 revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.54 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 EPS for the current year.

Xcel Energy Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

XEL has been the topic of several recent research reports. 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. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Xcel Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $78.00 price target on shares of Xcel Energy and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $78.00 to $77.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 18th. One 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, Xcel Energy has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $76.00.

Xcel Energy Company 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.