MUFG Securities EMEA plc Has $8.28 Million Stake in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL)

Key Points

• MUFG Securities EMEA plc reduced its stake in Xcel Energy Inc. by 22.0% during the 1st quarter, now holding a total of 116,999 shares valued at approximately $8.28 million.
• Several hedge funds have raised their positions in Xcel Energy, with hedge funds now collectively owning 78.38% of the company's stock.
• Xcel Energy has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.57, which is set to be paid on October 20th, representing an annual yield of 3.1%.

MUFG Securities EMEA plc trimmed its stake in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Free Report) by 22.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 116,999 shares of the company's stock after selling 33,000 shares during the period. MUFG Securities EMEA plc's holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $8,282,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Accent Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Xcel Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. BankPlus Trust Department acquired a new position in Xcel Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $34,000. Rossby Financial LCC acquired a new position in Xcel Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $50,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. acquired a new position in Xcel Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $52,000. Finally, Alpine Bank Wealth Management acquired a new position in Xcel Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $53,000. 78.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Xcel Energy Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of XEL stock traded down $0.29 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $72.39. 3,136,922 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,643,536. Xcel Energy Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $58.31 and a fifty-two week high of $74.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.96. The company has a market capitalization of $42.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.05, a P/E/G ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.34. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $69.63 and its 200 day simple moving average is $69.46.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 31st. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.09. Xcel Energy had a net margin of 14.85% and a return on equity of 10.52%. The firm had revenue of $3.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.31 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.54 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 earnings per share for the current year.

Xcel Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 20th. Investors of record on Monday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 15th. Xcel Energy's payout ratio is currently 63.16%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on XEL. Barclays upped 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. Evercore ISI upped 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. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Xcel Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Morgan Stanley reduced 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. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $69.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Xcel Energy currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average 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.