Quantinno Capital Management LP Purchases 19,760 Shares of Unitil Corporation $UTL

Key Points

• Quantinno Capital Management increased its Unitil stake by 91.5% in the first quarter, purchasing 19,760 additional shares and ending with a position worth approximately $2.16 million. Institutional investors collectively own 76.76% of the company.
• Unitil reported quarterly EPS of $0.29, beating analysts’ $0.26 estimate, while revenue reached $113.19 million. The company expects full-year EPS of approximately $3.31.
• Unitil declared a quarterly dividend of $0.475 per share, equivalent to an annualized $1.90 dividend and a 3.6% yield. Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $56.50.

Quantinno Capital Management LP increased its position in shares of Unitil Corporation (NYSE:UTL - Free Report) by 91.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 41,347 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 19,760 shares during the quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP owned about 0.23% of Unitil worth $2,160,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unitil during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Unitil in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Unitil in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its position in Unitil by 196.1% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 610 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 404 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP bought a new stake in Unitil during the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Institutional investors own 76.76% of the company's stock.

Unitil Price Performance

Unitil stock opened at $52.92 on Tuesday. Unitil Corporation has a 52 week low of $44.61 and a 52 week high of $57.26. The company's 50 day moving average price is $52.89 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $52.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. The stock has a market cap of $965.26 million, a P/E ratio of 16.69 and a beta of 0.31.

Unitil (NYSE:UTL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The utilities provider reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.26 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $113.19 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $113.19 million. Unitil had a return on equity of 9.53% and a net margin of 9.49%. On average, equities analysts predict that Unitil Corporation will post 3.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Unitil Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th will be given a dividend of $0.475 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 17th. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.6%. Unitil's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.94%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Unitil in a report on Monday, May 11th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $56.00 price objective on the stock. Freedom Capital downgraded shares of Unitil from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Unitil to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Unitil from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Unitil in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Unitil presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $56.50.

Unitil Profile

Unitil Corporation NYSE: UTL is a publicly traded energy delivery company that provides regulated electric and natural gas distribution services. The company delivers energy to residential, commercial and industrial customers through a network of distribution systems, offering safe and reliable service across its service areas. Unitil's operations include system maintenance, emergency response, meter reading and customer support functions, all governed by state regulatory commissions.

Headquartered in Hampton, New Hampshire, Unitil serves communities in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine.

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