MUFG Securities EMEA plc Lowers Stock Holdings in NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG)

Key Points

• MUFG Securities EMEA plc has reduced its stake in NRG Energy, Inc. by 15.2%, owning 94,999 shares worth approximately $9.07 million after selling 17,000 shares in the first quarter.
• Several large investors, including Goldman Sachs and GAMMA Investing LLC, have significantly increased their holdings in NRG Energy, with Goldman Sachs raising its stake by 468.4%.
• Research firms have varied opinions on NRG Energy, with target prices ranging from $132 to $203, and an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

MUFG Securities EMEA plc lessened its stake in shares of NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG - Free Report) by 15.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 94,999 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 17,000 shares during the period. MUFG Securities EMEA plc's holdings in NRG Energy were worth $9,069,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of NRG. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of NRG Energy by 468.4% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,757,735 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $454,173,000 after acquiring an additional 6,049,247 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of NRG Energy by 10,483.2% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 661,347 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $63,132,000 after acquiring an additional 655,098 shares during the period. Leigh Baldwin & CO. LLC acquired a new position in shares of NRG Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $54,881,000. Bridgewater Associates LP lifted its position in shares of NRG Energy by 47.3% during the 4th quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP now owns 1,185,365 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $106,944,000 after acquiring an additional 380,564 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in shares of NRG Energy by 119.1% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 677,894 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $61,161,000 after acquiring an additional 368,473 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.72% of the company's stock.

NRG Energy Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of NYSE NRG traded down $0.50 during trading on Friday, hitting $152.72. The stock had a trading volume of 2,574,077 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,354,016. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $155.73 and a two-hundred day moving average of $126.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.99, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The company has a market capitalization of $29.54 billion, a PE ratio of 69.10, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.14. NRG Energy, Inc. has a 12 month low of $76.13 and a 12 month high of $175.96.

NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.72 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $6.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.63 billion. NRG Energy had a return on equity of 88.22% and a net margin of 1.78%. NRG Energy's quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.37 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that NRG Energy, Inc. will post 6.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

NRG Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 15th. Investors of record on Friday, August 1st will be issued a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 1st. NRG Energy's payout ratio is 79.64%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of NRG Energy from $167.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on shares of NRG Energy in a research note on Friday, June 13th. They set a "strong-buy" rating and a $195.00 price target for the company. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of NRG Energy from $197.00 to $203.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of NRG Energy from $113.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of NRG Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, NRG Energy has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $162.70.

Insider Buying and Selling at NRG Energy

In related news, Director Kevin Howell sold 50,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.50, for a total value of $7,725,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 55,427 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,563,471.50. The trade was a 47.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.61% of the company's stock.

About NRG Energy

NRG Energy, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy and home services company in the United States and Canada. It operates through Texas; East; West/Services/Other; Vivint Smart Home; and Corporate Activities segments. The company produces and sells electricity generated using coal, oil, solar, and battery storage; natural gas; and a cloud-based home platform, including hardware, software, sales, installation, customer service, technical support, and professional monitoring solutions.