Weiss Asset Management LP Boosts Stake in Sempra Energy $SRE

Key Points

• Weiss Asset Management increased its Sempra Energy stake by 1,047.2% in the first quarter, ending with 178,510 shares worth about $17.35 million.
• Insider selling was notable, with EVP Caroline Ann Winn and insider Diana L. Day selling shares recently; insiders have sold 13,900 shares over the last 90 days.
• Sempra reported Q1 earnings of $1.51 per share, matching estimates, while revenue came in below expectations at $3.65 billion; the company also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.6575 per share, yielding about 2.8%.

Weiss Asset Management LP grew its position in shares of Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE - Free Report) by 1,047.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 178,510 shares of the utilities provider's stock after acquiring an additional 162,949 shares during the quarter. Weiss Asset Management LP's holdings in Sempra Energy were worth $17,346,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Sempra Energy by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,590,698 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $142,702,000 after acquiring an additional 74,749 shares during the period. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. purchased a new stake in Sempra Energy during the 4th quarter worth $3,289,000. Dockside LLC purchased a new stake in Sempra Energy during the 4th quarter worth $3,938,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Sempra Energy by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 76,734,070 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $6,774,907,000 after purchasing an additional 1,008,476 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BW Gestao de Investimentos Ltda. acquired a new stake in Sempra Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $16,629,000. 89.65% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Sempra Energy

In related news, EVP Caroline Ann Winn sold 8,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.55, for a total value of $724,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 25,164 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,278,600.20. The trade was a 24.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Diana L. Day sold 3,300 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.13, for a total value of $304,029.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 22,870 shares in the company, valued at $2,107,013.10. The trade was a 12.61% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 13,900 shares of company stock valued at $1,261,207. Insiders own 0.31% of the company's stock.

Sempra Energy Stock Performance

Shares of SRE opened at $93.00 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $60.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.53, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a quick ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 1.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The business's 50 day moving average is $91.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $92.41. Sempra Energy has a 52-week low of $78.97 and a 52-week high of $101.04.

Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.51 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.51. The business had revenue of $3.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.10 billion. Sempra Energy had a net margin of 14.31% and a return on equity of 8.20%. The business's quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.44 earnings per share. Sempra Energy has set its FY 2027 guidance at 5.100-5.700 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 4.870-5.370 EPS. Analysts forecast that Sempra Energy will post 5.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sempra Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 25th were paid a $0.6575 dividend. This represents a $2.63 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 25th. Sempra Energy's dividend payout ratio is 89.15%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Sempra Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $108.00 target price on shares of Sempra Energy in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group set a $101.00 target price on Sempra Energy in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Sempra Energy in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, TD Cowen started coverage on Sempra Energy in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $104.23.

More Sempra Energy News

Here are the key news stories impacting Sempra Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reiterated its Buy rating on Sempra Energy, reinforcing a constructive view on the utility’s outlook. Morgan Stanley Sticks to Its Buy Rating for Sempra Energy (SRE)
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp lifted its FY2026 EPS estimate to $5.07 and raised its FY2029 estimate to $6.46, suggesting stronger earnings power over time.
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp’s longer-term forecasts for FY2027 and FY2028 remain solid at $5.49 and $5.93 per share, respectively, supporting the case for gradual earnings growth.

Sempra Energy Company Profile

Sempra Energy is a San Diego–based energy infrastructure company that develops, owns and operates businesses delivering electricity and natural gas. Its operations include regulated utility services that provide electric and gas distribution to residential, commercial and industrial customers, as well as non‑regulated infrastructure businesses that develop and manage large-scale energy assets.

The company's product and service portfolio spans electricity and natural gas delivery, transmission and storage, liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, power generation and electric transmission projects.

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