UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC Sells 195,807 Shares of NRG Energy, Inc. $NRG

Key Points

• UBS AM reduced its stake in NRG Energy by 16% in the first quarter, owning about 1,027,784 shares valued at $98.1 million after selling 195,807 shares.
• Vice President Dak Liyanearachchi sold 10,672 shares of NRG for over $1.65 million, marking an 18.01% decrease in their position.
• Several analysts have set new price targets for NRG Energy, with Melius Research initiating coverage at a target price of $308.00 and Citigroup raising its target from $133 to $185.00.

UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lowered its holdings in NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG - Free Report) by 16.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,027,784 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 195,807 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC owned 0.53% of NRG Energy worth $98,112,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new position in shares of NRG Energy during the first quarter worth about $28,000. Key Financial Inc acquired a new position in shares of NRG Energy during the first quarter worth about $30,000. Evermay Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of NRG Energy during the first quarter worth about $36,000. Park Square Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of NRG Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $53,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in shares of NRG Energy by 44.0% during the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 655 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $63,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.72% of the company's stock.

NRG Energy Price Performance

NYSE NRG traded up $1.32 on Monday, reaching $166.16. 2,357,483 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,954,335. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $153.38 and its 200 day simple moving average is $134.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.99. The company has a market cap of $32.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 75.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.17. NRG Energy, Inc. has a 12 month low of $79.57 and a 12 month high of $175.96.

NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.72 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $6.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.63 billion. NRG Energy had a return on equity of 88.22% and a net margin of 1.78%.NRG Energy's revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.37 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that NRG Energy, Inc. will post 6.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

NRG Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 1st were given a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 1st. NRG Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 79.64%.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Dak Liyanearachchi sold 10,672 shares of NRG Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $1,654,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 48,571 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,528,505. The trade was a 18.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.61% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have commented on NRG. Barclays boosted their price objective on NRG Energy from $197.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. Wall Street Zen cut NRG Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. Citigroup boosted their price target on NRG Energy from $133.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. Melius started coverage on NRG Energy in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $308.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Melius Research started coverage on NRG Energy in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $308.00 price objective for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $186.92.

NRG Energy Profile

NRG Energy, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy and home services company in the United States and Canada. It operates through Texas; East; West/Services/Other; Vivint Smart Home; and Corporate Activities segments. The company produces and sells electricity generated using coal, oil, solar, and battery storage; natural gas; and a cloud-based home platform, including hardware, software, sales, installation, customer service, technical support, and professional monitoring solutions.