Empowered Funds LLC Acquires 18,532 Shares of NextEra Energy, Inc. $NEE

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in NextEra Energy shares by 40.7%, owning 64,098 shares worth approximately $4.54 million as of their latest SEC filing.
• NextEra Energy reported earnings of $1.05 per share for the last quarter, beating estimates, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.5665, reflecting a 3.2% yield.
• Wall Street analysts have generally positive views on the stock, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and price targets ranging from $77 to $87.

Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in shares of NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE - Free Report) by 40.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 64,098 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 18,532 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC's holdings in NextEra Energy were worth $4,544,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of NEE. 1 North Wealth Services LLC bought a new stake in NextEra Energy during the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. IMA Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of NextEra Energy during the first quarter worth approximately $35,000. Copia Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of NextEra Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of NextEra Energy by 237.7% during the first quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 520 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 366 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hughes Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of NextEra Energy during the first quarter worth approximately $40,000. 78.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

NextEra Energy Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE NEE traded up $0.34 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $71.66. The stock had a trading volume of 9,343,417 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,308,457. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.54. NextEra Energy, Inc. has a 1 year low of $61.72 and a 1 year high of $86.10. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $73.10 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $71.06. The firm has a market cap of $147.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.65.

NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The utilities provider reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.04. NextEra Energy had a net margin of 22.84% and a return on equity of 12.31%. The company had revenue of $6.70 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.52 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.96 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 10.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that NextEra Energy, Inc. will post 3.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

NextEra Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 28th will be given a dividend of $0.5665 per share. This represents a $2.27 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 28th. NextEra Energy's payout ratio is presently 79.37%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NEE has been the topic of several research reports. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of NextEra Energy from $65.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of NextEra Energy from $86.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 22nd. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of NextEra Energy from $94.00 to $84.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of NextEra Energy in a research note on Thursday, August 21st. Finally, Melius began coverage on shares of NextEra Energy in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. They set a "buy" rating and a $77.00 price target on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $84.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at NextEra Energy

In other NextEra Energy news, Treasurer James Michael May sold 2,177 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.50, for a total transaction of $168,717.50. Following the transaction, the treasurer directly owned 27,662 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,143,805. The trade was a 7.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Robert Coffey sold 7,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.84, for a total transaction of $538,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 26,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,906,561.76. The trade was a 22.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 19,677 shares of company stock valued at $1,415,418. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About NextEra Energy

NextEra Energy, Inc, through its subsidiaries, generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power to retail and wholesale customers in North America. The company generates electricity through wind, solar, nuclear,natural gas, and other clean energy. It also develops, constructs, and operates long-term contracted assets that consists of clean energy solutions, such as renewable generation facilities, battery storage projects, and electric transmission facilities; sells energy commodities; and owns, develops, constructs, manages and operates electric generation facilities in wholesale energy markets.