Natixis Advisors LLC Acquires 97,651 Shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL)

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC increased its stake in Xcel Energy by 53.8%, owning 279,146 shares valued at approximately $19.76 million as of the latest SEC filing.
• Xcel Energy has received mixed reviews from analysts, with one analyst issuing a sell rating and others maintaining target prices ranging from $69.00 to $78.00, leading to an average rating of "Moderate Buy."
• The company recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.57 per share, reflecting an annual yield of 3.1% and a payout ratio of 63.16%.

Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Free Report) by 53.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 279,146 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 97,651 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC's holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $19,761,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BankPlus Trust Department acquired a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the 1st quarter worth approximately $34,000. Rossby Financial LCC bought a new position in Xcel Energy in the first quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. bought a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $52,000. Alpine Bank Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the 1st quarter valued at $53,000. Finally, WFA Asset Management Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy by 449.0% during the 1st quarter. WFA Asset Management Corp now owns 1,131 shares of the company's stock valued at $80,000 after purchasing an additional 925 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.38% of the company's stock.

Xcel Energy Price Performance

XEL traded down $0.07 during trading on Thursday, reaching $73.23. The stock had a trading volume of 3,078,491 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,642,977. The stock has a market cap of $43.31 billion, a PE ratio of 20.29, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.96. Xcel Energy Inc. has a one year low of $57.24 and a one year high of $74.57. The business has a 50-day moving average of $69.44 and a 200-day moving average of $69.30.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.09. Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.52% and a net margin of 14.85%. The business had revenue of $3.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.31 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.54 EPS. Xcel Energy's quarterly revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Xcel Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 20th. Investors of record on Monday, September 15th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 15th. Xcel Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.16%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on XEL shares. Mizuho lifted their target price on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, August 1st. Evercore ISI increased their target price on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $78.00 price target on shares of Xcel Energy and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Barclays raised their price objective 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. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $69.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $76.00.

About Xcel Energy

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.