HighTower Advisors LLC Cuts Position in Sempra Energy $SRE

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors reduced its Sempra Energy stake by 2.6% in the fourth quarter, leaving it with 1,284,970 shares valued at about $113.45 million. Institutional ownership remains high, with 89.65% of the stock held by institutions.
• Sempra reported EPS of $1.51 for the latest quarter, matching analyst expectations, but revenue came in below estimates at $3.66 billion and declined 3.9% year over year. The company also reaffirmed forward guidance, including FY 2026 EPS of $4.87-$5.37 and FY 2027 EPS of $5.10-$5.70.
• The utility declared a quarterly dividend of $0.6575 per share, or $2.63 annualized, for a 2.9% yield. Analysts remain generally positive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $102.67.

HighTower Advisors LLC trimmed its position in shares of Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE - Free Report) by 2.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,284,970 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 33,948 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.20% of Sempra Energy worth $113,450,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new stake in Sempra Energy in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Activest Wealth Management lifted its position in Sempra Energy by 74.6% during the third quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 391 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Board of the Pension Protection Fund bought a new position in Sempra Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC grew its stake in shares of Sempra Energy by 88.8% in the 4th quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 406 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 191 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sempra Energy in the 3rd quarter worth $41,000. 89.65% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Sempra Energy Price Performance

Sempra Energy stock opened at $91.33 on Wednesday. Sempra Energy has a 12-month low of $73.06 and a 12-month high of $101.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.69, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $94.60 and a 200-day moving average price of $91.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $59.70 billion, a PE ratio of 30.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 0.60.

Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.51 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.51. Sempra Energy had a net margin of 14.31% and a return on equity of 8.20%. The company had revenue of $3.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.10 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.44 EPS. The firm's revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sempra Energy has set its FY 2027 guidance at 5.100-5.700 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 4.870-5.370 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Sempra Energy will post 5.11 EPS for the current year.

Sempra Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.6575 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 25th. This represents a $2.63 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. Sempra Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently 89.15%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on SRE. Morgan Stanley set a $104.00 target price on shares of Sempra Energy and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $118.00 price target on shares of Sempra Energy in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Sempra Energy in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Argus raised Sempra Energy from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $104.00 target price on Sempra Energy and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Sempra Energy presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $102.67.

Insider Transactions at Sempra Energy

In related news, insider Diana L. Day sold 3,300 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.13, for a total transaction of $304,029.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 22,870 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,107,013.10. This trade represents a 12.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Justin Christopher Bird sold 1,128 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.69, for a total value of $109,066.32. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 21,632 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,091,598.08. The trade was a 4.96% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders bought 6,192 shares of company stock valued at $576,979 and sold 13,439 shares valued at $1,243,713. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company's stock.

About Sempra Energy

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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