Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Shares Acquired by Vanguard Group Inc.

Key Points

• Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Xcel Energy Inc. by 1.3%, acquiring an additional 986,170 shares and holding approximately 12.97% of the company's total shares.
• Xcel Energy reported earnings of $0.75 per share for the last quarter, surpassing analysts' expectations of $0.66, with revenue totaling $3.29 billion.
• Research analysts have set new price targets for Xcel Energy, with Evercore ISI raising it from $74.00 to $77.00 and Wells Fargo setting a target at $78.00.

Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Free Report) by 1.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 74,818,158 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 986,170 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 12.97% of Xcel Energy worth $5,296,377,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 18.3% during the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 472,344 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,437,000 after buying an additional 73,036 shares during the last quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy during the first quarter worth about $2,735,000. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy during the first quarter worth about $905,000. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy during the first quarter worth about $329,000. Finally, Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy during the first quarter worth about $267,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.38% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on XEL shares. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Xcel Energy from $78.00 to $77.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 18th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $78.00 price objective on Xcel Energy and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Barclays raised their target price on Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Xcel Energy from $69.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Xcel Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $76.00.

Xcel Energy Trading Up 0.1%

Xcel Energy stock traded up $0.10 during trading on Friday, reaching $73.33. 3,328,850 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,379,997. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The company has a market capitalization of $43.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.31, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.34. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $69.57 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $69.38. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 52-week low of $57.24 and a 52-week high of $74.57.

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

Xcel Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 15th. Xcel Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently 63.16%.

Xcel Energy Company Profile

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.