KBC Group NV Purchases 3,622 Shares of Evergy Inc. (NASDAQ:EVRG)

KBC Group NV boosted its stake in Evergy Inc. (NASDAQ:EVRG - Free Report) by 28.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 16,391 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 3,622 shares during the period. KBC Group NV's holdings in Evergy were worth $1,130,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Bfsg LLC purchased a new position in Evergy in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new position in Evergy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Colonial Trust Co SC purchased a new position in Evergy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Alpine Bank Wealth Management purchased a new position in Evergy in the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Sandy Spring Bank increased its stake in Evergy by 5,983.3% in the 4th quarter. Sandy Spring Bank now owns 730 shares of the company's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 718 shares during the period. 87.24% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Evergy Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of EVRG traded up $1.17 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $70.15. 1,782,353 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,065,908. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. Evergy Inc. has a 1 year low of $52.58 and a 1 year high of $70.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.46, a PEG ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.50. The business's 50-day moving average price is $67.35 and its 200-day moving average price is $66.03.

Evergy (NASDAQ:EVRG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The company reported $0.54 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.66 by ($0.12). Evergy had a net margin of 14.87% and a return on equity of 8.84%. The firm had revenue of $1.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.21 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.54 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Evergy Inc. will post 3.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Evergy Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 20th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd were given a dividend of $0.6675 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $2.67 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.81%. Evergy's dividend payout ratio is presently 70.26%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

EVRG has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup lifted their price target on Evergy from $77.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $78.00 price target on Evergy and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 10th. Wall Street Zen cut Evergy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. UBS Group raised Evergy from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $68.00 to $78.00 in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets began coverage on Evergy in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $75.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $73.19.

Evergy Company Profile

Evergy, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in the United States. The company generates electricity through coal, landfill gas, uranium, and natural gas and oil sources, as well as solar, wind, other renewable sources. It serves residences, commercial firms, industrials, municipalities, and other electric utilities.