Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Shares Acquired by UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its holdings in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Free Report) by 12.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,514,571 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 270,196 shares during the quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC owned about 0.44% of Xcel Energy worth $169,784,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of XEL. Hodges Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Xcel Energy by 447.1% in the 4th quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 51,396 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,470,000 after purchasing an additional 42,001 shares in the last quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $278,000. GEN Financial Management INC. purchased a new position in Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $301,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its stake in Xcel Energy by 35.8% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 14,825 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,001,000 after purchasing an additional 3,905 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its stake in Xcel Energy by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 134,107 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,055,000 after purchasing an additional 6,114 shares in the last quarter. 78.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Xcel Energy Trading Up 0.1%

Xcel Energy stock traded up $0.07 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $69.80. The stock had a trading volume of 1,329,175 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,631,709. Xcel Energy Inc. has a twelve month low of $51.97 and a twelve month high of $73.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.26 billion, a PE ratio of 20.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.93. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $69.84 and its 200 day simple moving average is $68.94.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $0.84 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.95 by ($0.11). Xcel Energy had a net margin of 14.40% and a return on equity of 10.65%. The firm had revenue of $3.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.93 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.88 EPS. Xcel Energy's revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 EPS for the current year.

Xcel Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 30th. Investors of record on Friday, June 13th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.27%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 13th. Xcel Energy's payout ratio is currently 67.06%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on XEL shares. Barclays raised their price target on Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $78.00 price target on Xcel Energy and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. UBS Group raised their price target on Xcel Energy from $73.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Morgan Stanley set a $78.00 price target on Xcel Energy and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price target on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, April 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Xcel Energy presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $75.90.

Insider Activity at Xcel Energy

In related news, Director Devin W. Stockfish acquired 2,170 shares of Xcel Energy stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of $68.93 per share, for a total transaction of $149,578.10. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 3,007 shares in the company, valued at $207,272.51. This trade represents a 259.26% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.